MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo pleaded ignorance about his reported desire to join the Knicks, but he was happy to point out the outcome of Tuesday’s game.
“We beat the Knicks,” he said.
Antetokounmpo didn’t provide much clarity about ESPN declaring he’d prefer the Knicks as a trade destination, claiming he was unaware of the report when quizzed by The Post.
It was an unbelievable answer — the story made national news — but that was Antetokounmpo’s stance.
“I don’t remember that,” Antetokounmpo said. “Right now I’m here representing my team, and that’s it. We beat the Knicks. So it doesn’t matter.
“What matters right now is we have a game in two days against Golden State, try to stay locked in and get two in a row. But I didn’t read that article. I try to stay away from all that rumors and speculation and trades. It doesn’t concern me one bit. I try to involve myself and I try to help my team win games.”
Not a denial. Not a confirmation. More of a deflection.
And it happened on a night Antetokounmpo probably felt better about his situation in Milwaukee, right after the Bucks overwhelmed the Knicks with athleticism in the second half of a 121-111 victory.
“Yeah it was a lot extra (playing against the Knicks),” “Yeah, it was a lot of extra [motivation playing against the Knicks]” Antetokounmpo said. “They swept us last year. They were way better than us last year. We didn’t make it tough for them. It was very easy in my opinion. As the leader of this team, I remember. I don’t forget things. I tried to, from early shootaround, set the tone for the team and try to remind them last year they swept us, same with the Cavs. I think the team responded in the best way. So I’m happy.”
Antetokounmpo dominated the Knicks with 37 points on 16-of-22 shooting in just 33 minutes.
At one point in the third quarter, Antetokounmpo completed a block and a dunk by shouting, “This is my city” and: “I love when it’s tough, I thrive when it’s tough.”
For those hoping Antetokounmpo forces a trade to the Knicks, it wasn’t a good evening.
“Leaving [Sunday’s loss], my mindset was, OK, in order for us to take the next step and be able to compete with the best teams in the NBA, we can’t lose two in a row,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re playing the Knicks and we know they’re going to come out, they’re going to shoot 3s, they’re going to be aggressive getting to the paint and creating shots for themselves.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge and we were ready to accept that challenge and come here and try to win the game. …In order to be one of the top teams in the East, we have to beat those teams. Last year, the Knicks didn’t just sweep us, they really beat us. And this year is totally different.”
