Giannis' FT routine might break rules
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s lengthy free-throw routine might be too long to be legal.
Officials are under renewed pressure to enforce the 10-second rule, placing the Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP further in the spotlight Friday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks.
The NBA said Antetokounmpo should have been called for 10-second violations on both free throws he shot with 5.3 seconds remaining in the Hawks’ 116-113 Game 1 win on Wednesday night. Antetokounmpo made both free throws, trimming the Hawks’ lead to 114-113.
“He’s got his routine,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Friday before the game.
Budenholzer said the NBA isn’t officiated with a stopwatch.
“If you took a clock on an out-of-bounds play, how many times would it take more than five seconds if they wanted to put a stopwatch on it?” Budenholzer asked.
Hawks coach Nate McMillan had a simple reply to that argument.
“Call it,” McMillan said.
