Giannis Antetokounmpo is known for his frequent trips to the free-throw line, having led the NBA in free throws attempted per game for three consecutive seasons. While this is a common occurrence for dominant players, one of his notable habits is taking a significant amount of time before shooting. The NBA permits players 10 seconds for free throws, and Antetokounmpo has faced multiple violations for exceeding this limit throughout his career.
Naturally, this tendency often leads opposing fans to count aloud while he prepares to shoot, attempting to both playfully mock the two-time MVP and potentially prompt officials to call a violation. However, a fan during Game 2 of the first-round playoff series between the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks took this tactic to an entirely new level. This fan produced a homemade clock and held it up specifically when Antetokounmpo was shooting free throws facing their end of the court.
The intriguing question arises: did this visual timer affect Antetokounmpo? Was he genuinely distracted by the clock being waved in his vicinity? The impact appears to be mixed. The Pacers did secure a 123-115 victory in Game 2, earning a crucial 2-0 lead in the series as it shifts to Milwaukee for Game 3.
However, Antetokounmpo`s performance at the free-throw line wasn`t drastically poor. He made 6 of his 10 attempts, which is quite consistent with his season average free-throw percentage of 61.7%. Furthermore, his overall game statistics were impressive, finishing with 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists.
That said, he did miss a key layup with less than two minutes remaining in the game. So, if Pacers fans choose to believe that the presence of the clock was enough to mentally disrupt him and influence the outcome, they have this late-game miss as a potential piece of evidence. This might even inspire them to construct more time-keeping props should the series return to Indianapolis.
Jasper Hawthorne