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As soon as Giannis Antetokounmpo said the Milwaukee Bucks were in life or death mode, the motivation is there. However, for the Indiana Pacers, they might not want to give more motivation to the former MVP.
Despite being down 2-0 in the series, Antetokounmpo has had masterful performances. Most recently, he posted a 34-point and 18-rebound double-double in Game 2.
However, he senses the tension between the two teams. Regardless of it, Antetokounmpo vows to stay away from it as much as possible.
“I feel like there's a lot of animosity, a lot of back and forth,” he said via Stephen Holder of ESPN. “But I try to stay away from it. I try to stay away from it as much as I can and just focus on what I've got to do to help the team win. But, s**t, if you poke me, I'm right there. I'm not backing down.
“I think a lot of people know that about me, but I really don't care about what people think or what [the Pacers] think or what we think. I really don't care. My mindset right now is Game 3. We know the f*****g deal, man. I just know the deal. I know what I've got to do.”
Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn't need motivation from Pacers
If there's anything the Pacers shouldn't do, it's poke the bear. The league has seen instances of Antetokounmpo being poked, and it not ending well for the other side.
Although he's been dominant, there's another level he can reach.
Antetokounmpo has been the Bucks' offense and defense for the past handful of years. Most notably, he dropped a 50-piece in the NBA Finals, that helped Milwaukee win its second championship.
This isn't saying that he will wield them to a title. However, he's been in the ringer before. Funny enough, the Bucks were down 2-0 to the Phoenix Suns the year they won the Finals.
Either way, there is plenty more of the series remaining. Still, the trash talk will be imminent.
As much as Antetokounmpo wants to stay away from it, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers are embracing it. It's not a secret that the two teams despise one another.
For the Greek Freak, he might need to turn it up a notch and get quality contributions from others to make the series salvageable.
Interestingly enough, Milwaukee has led for a combined three minutes in two games. That alone could infuriate Antetokounmpo to lay the smack down on the Pacers.
