Giannis Antetokounmpo Takes a Jibe at Doc Rivers After “Playoffs” Like Game vs 76ers

The Milwaukee Bucks faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers in their season-opening game. One of the best and closest finishing games one could say for their first matchup, it was an exciting 48 minutes from start to finish. The 76ers, who played without James Harden, did not seem to have any problems taking on the new duo in Milwaukee.

After the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo talked to the press about the matchup. And the Greek Freak may have taken an indirect jab at Doc Rivers while describing the matchup as a ‘playoff’ game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo takes a dig at Doc Rivers

The Philadelphia 76ers were in a hard-fought battle against the Milwaukee Bucks in their season opener. Despite a strong performance by the 76ers, the Bucks won the game with a final score of 118-117.

After the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down for a press conference. And that is when he was asked about their first matchup of the season with the 76ers and how it ended up being an absolute nail-biter.

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The Greek Freak said, “I think the intensity was very high. I think it was almost like a playoff game. The season opener, you’re anxious. It’s the first game of the season, you want to start well, you want to play well.”

“To answer your question, for sure, the intensity was extremely high. A totally different look from Philadelphia that have used in the past. They were way more aggressive defensively, trapping the pick and roll, and showing more help in the post. They were a totally different team than they were last year, so that was a surprise.”

The last line that Antetokounmpo said may have been a subtle jab at the former 76ers head coach, Doc Rivers.

Will Nick Nurse breathe new air into Philly?

For those of you who do not know, the Philadelphia 76ers’ front office fired Doc Rivers after the team was eliminated from the playoffs last year. The front office decided to hire Nick Nurse as his replacement.

Nurse specializes in defense on the floor whereas Rivers’s focus was more on offense. And as per Antetokounmpo’s statement, the 76ers seemed to be more defensively inclined right from the get-go.

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The team certainly did not disappoint on the offensive end as well, losing the game by just one point. And that too without their All-Star guard, James Harden. So, if the 76ers continue to perform as they did today, the team may have a good chance of having a better track record than last season.

Let’s see what Nick Nurse is able to do for the 76ers this season.