Giannis Praises Khris Middleton After Bucks' Game 3 Win: 'He's Special for a Reason'

Giannis Antetokounmpo loves him some Khris Middleton. 

And for good reason. Middleton was superb in Milwaukee's 113-102 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night, scoring 20 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter. 

Afterward, the Greek Freak had nothing but praise for his teammate:

"It was freaking unbelievable," Antetokounmpo added of Middleton's fourth quarter. "Carried the team at the end. He turned the ball over like two times and after that he was locked in. Like, 'Pass me the ball,' and we gave him the ball. ... We know when to set screens for him, we know when he wants the ball, and that was the moment. We were like, 'Get the hell out of the way, get him the ball, take us home Khris.' And that's what he did."

Middleton was indeed excellent, shooting 15-of-26 from the floor and 6-of-12 from three. For good measure, he added 11 rebounds and seven assists. 

The Bucks go as Middleton goes. In this year's playoffs they are 7-1 when Middleton scores 20 or more points and just 3-3 when he fails to hit the 20-point mark. 

He was one of Game 3's major storylines. The other was Trae Young, who injured his right ankle late in the third quarter after accidentally stepping on an official's foot. 

When he left the game, the Hawks were up 85-82. While he would eventually return in the fourth quarter, he was clearly hobbled and Milwaukee took advantage, outscoring the Hawks 31-17 following the injury. 

If Young is hobbled the rest of the series or unable to play, the Hawks are in serious trouble. They simply can't replace the 29.4 points and 9.9 assists Young has been averaging in the postseason. He's been ascendant. 

But on Sunday night, at least, Middleton's star shone brightest.