Giannis: Bucks Got 'Ass Whupped' in Game 1, Had to Respond in Game 2 vs. Celtics

After evening the series at 1-1, Giannis Antetokounmpo was free to tell it like it is when discussing the Milwaukee Bucks' Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics:

"We got our ass whupped in Game 1, so we had to come out here and get Game 2," he told NBA on TNT's Kristen Ledlow after Tuesday's win. "It's tough when a team comes into your home and gets the two first games. We knew that. We had that in the back of our minds."

The Celtics earned a 112-90 win over the No. 1 seeded Bucks in Game 1, but it was a different story in Game 2. After a close first half, Milwaukee pulled away in the second half and earned a 123-102 victory.

"We came out, we played hard, we moved the ball, we trusted one another and that's why we got a win," Antetokounmpo added.

Giannis was a key part of the turnaround, finishing with 29 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the most recent win. He needed only 16 shots from the field to get his points, as he was able to get to the line and convert.

In Game 1, the MVP candidate needed 21 shots to get 22 points, only adding eight rebounds and two assists.

Milwaukee also provided a lot of help around him, as Khris Middleton (28 points) and Eric Bledsoe (21 points) had much-improved games.

This was necessary after what Antetokounmpo accurately described as a one-sided effort in Game 1. The Bucks struggled to get any open looks while Boston looked like they had a layup line offensively.

Although it was just one game, it changed many opinions about the overall series. ESPN analyst Paul Pierce thought the series might be over:

The Bucks clearly responded in Game 2, and the second-round matchup is now 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Friday.