Giannis Antetokounmpo: ‘There’s a narrative out there that’s false. I got a bag’

Jorge Sierra: Giannis on Dame: “There’s some times that he wants to operate the offense and you have to give him the ball… and there’s times that I’m running ahead of him and I need the ball (…) As we move on forward game by game, we’re going to learn how to play with one another.” pic.twitter.com/ee8sAr1Fu1 -via Twitter @hoopshype / November 19, 2023

“I think tonight, he’s the horse,” Damian Lillard said of Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I wanna see him be four-time MVP or five-time MVP and have those type of games. And I’m here because I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve won a lot of games, I’ve had a lot of individual success, but I’m here to win. “Us winning is not gonna look like my performances in Portland all the time, even though there will be some of those nights. But like I said, he’s the horse and … there’s gonna be a quarter where I jump out front and carry the load, I dominate a quarter. Or down the stretch, five minutes, six minutes, you’re gonna see me probably take control and take command of that because those are my moments. And it just has to be a balance of us both and us complementing each other leading to wins.” -via The Athletic / November 19, 2023

Lillard didn’t need Saturday night to prove anything. His résumé speaks for itself. He has thrived in these moments throughout his career and is comfortable with the ball in his hands late in games. “At that time of the game, I think you got to have the ball in the hands of a good decision maker and somebody that’s a threat to the defense,” Lillard said. “And I know that every defense we see is going to view me as a threat. And I just feel like I can I can get it done at that time, whether I’m scoring or making a play or if I get fouled going to the free throw line.” -via The Athletic / November 19, 2023