The Milwaukee Bucks' strong defensive effort carried them to a victory over the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. While most would classify Game 2 as a must-win affair for the Celtics after dropping Game 1 to the Bucks, Magic Johnson took that narrative a bit further.

Wow! That is an extremely bold prediction from the Laker legend. But Johnson has not been shy about making bold claims during the playoffs. He expressed the ultimate praise for Giannis Antetokounmpo following the Bucks' Game 1 victory on his Twitter.

“The World Champion Milwaukee Bucks beat the Celtics in Game 1, led by the best player in basketball, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 24 points, 12 assists and 13 rebounds!”

There has been a hotly-contested debate about who the best current NBA player is over the past couple of years. For a long while the only correct answer was LeBron James. But his grasp on the title has loosened with age. Regardless, LeBron is still in the conversation. Kevin Durant is also certainly in it. But Giannis is the “best player in basketball” according to Magic Johnson.

Johnson seems to be all in on the Bucks as well. But the Celtics are an extremely talented team in their own right. They feature the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, along with the Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. So pulling off the sweep will be no easy task.

But the defending champion Bucks have the momentum and a Game 2 victory would make things very difficult for the Celtics moving forward.