MILWAUKEE -- Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points in Sunday's Game 4 win over the Boston Celtics, but it was his offensive rebound and tip-in off a Malcolm Brogdon miss that gave the Bucks a lead with 5.1 seconds left, and ultimately a 104-102 win.
"At the end of the day in the playoffs, we know we have the best player on the floor," Brogdon said of Antetokounmpo. "So we rely on him, and he comes through."
Antetokounmpo's tip-in was one of several huge plays the 23-year-old All-Star made in the waning moments as the Bucks scratched out a second straight victory to tie their series against the Celtics at 2-2. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Antetokounmpo is now 4-for-4 on go-ahead shots in the final 20 seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime this season.
"He made a great tip-in," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. "And he was battling for the ball and our guys were battling for the ball, that's what great players do. And I thought for the most part we did a decent job on him, probably better than we have in every other game, and he still goes 12-for-20."
The beauty of Antetokounmpo's play Sunday is that he was finding different ways to help his team as they struggled to find a rhythm in the second half. With seven rebounds and five assists, he was able to affect the game in a variety of areas while still coming up when it mattered most.
"It comes back to trust," Antetokounmpo said. "I get confidence from my teammates. My teammates trust me to make good plays. I've been making those plays all year long ... I think one of the most important thing we can carry on from this game and move forward is that we stayed disciplined and we trusted one another down the stretch."
With a pivotal Game 5 of the horizon Tuesday night in Boston, Bucks interim head coach Joe Prunty is hopeful that his team's best will be able to deliver in the clutch again for a group that is riding high on confidence at the moment.
"Giannis, this is no secret, he works extremely hard," Prunty said. "He has a tremendous will to win, a tremendous drive to play the game and trying to play it the right way. He's having a good series, and we're going to need him to continue to do that."