PHILADELPHIA -- As the Milwaukee Bucks found themselves trailing in the fourth quarter here against the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo had one message for his teammates:
I've got this.
Yes, the Bucks were missing Eric Bledsoe, who had been ejected three minutes into the game. Khris Middleton was limited to 25 minutes as he comes back from injury. Malcolm Brogdon and Nikola Mirotic were sidelined with injuries of their own.
And yet, with his demeanor, with his actions, with his play, he kept pulling Milwaukee along, refusing to allow them to miss an opportunity to claim homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs and the best record in the NBA on their own terms.