(Video) Slow-Mo Catches Lu Dort Assaulting Giannis Antetokounmpo During OKC vs. Bucks

Lu Dort caught Giannis Antetokounmpo from behind in a hard foul during their matchup on Wednesday.

(Video) Slow-Mo Catches Lu Dort Assaulting Giannis Antetokounmpo During OKC vs. Bucks

Lu Dort was caught attacking Giannis Antetokounmpo (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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Things do not seem to be working out for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at the moment. It was another humiliating 122-102 defeat to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night. Down by as much as 18 points at halftime, the Bucks never found a way back in another blowout loss on home court.

There has been a lot of drama surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo since the offseason, after it was reported that he requested a trade after the sudden trade of Damian Lillard. However, the Bucks did not get what they were looking for, so no move was materialized. But after a poor start to the season, rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo wanting out started to resurface.

The ‘Greek Freak’ had a back-and-forth with the home fans during their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last week. The fans were disappointed with their team’s performances and made their feelings known by booing the team during halftime. With Antetokounmpo turning into a “villain”, the trade rumors caught more fire.

Lu Dort is a name fans do not hear often. But he has become one of the best wing defenders in the league and is one of the main reasons why the Thunder pose the strongest defense in the NBA. Although many criticize how referees allow Dort to get away with more contact than the average defender, he is a fundamentally good defender and is often tasked with guarding the opponent’s primary ball-handler.

During the Bucks-Thunder game, there was an instance where Antetokounmpo was about to dunk the ball after creating space from Chet Holmgren. But Dort clobbered the Greek forward from behind in what was a nasty foul.

The loss pushed the Bucks further away from the play-in spots as they suffered their 11th loss in 20 games at home. Their record stands at 18-25 as they currently sit at 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, and are now 1.5 games behind the 10th seeds, Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, the Thunder improved their record to 37-8 and continues to be at the top of the Western Conference standings.

Fans react to Lu Dort’s foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo from behind

The poor foul by Dort did not take long to go viral across social media. The internet was quick to call out Dort and made their feelings known.

As expected, several fans were not pleased with the foul and called out the referees for letting the Thunder get away with such fouls more often than not. It has been a matter of concern lately, with some opposing coaches even claiming that the officials let OKC get away with a lot of physicality but not when they are on the receiving end of such fouls.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show against the Bucks

Coming off a historic season last year, reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shown no signs of slowing down this season. The Canadian international remains a strong contender to lift the MVP award again this year, after frontrunner Nikola Jokic injured his knee on December 30 and has not played since.

The Thunder guard further cemented his MVP case with an astonishing performance against the Bucks, recording a double-double with 40 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was not just the points he scored on Wednesday but the manner in which he did it. SGA made 16-19 of his shots, scoring at 84.2% from the field, and made both of his three-point shots.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander
Shai Gilgeous Alexander (Imagn)

It was a special performance from SGA as he remains on track for averaging 30+ points for four consecutive seasons. His performances and numbers this season have seen pundits placing him alongside Michael Jordan, in terms of being an elite scorer. The OKC star is currently second in the league in scoring behind Luka Doncic. If SGA continues to put up such performances, he may be in for another historic campaign.

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