Chris Paul takes a shot at Giannis' free throws

Like most of us, Chris Paul seems to dislike Giannis' free-throw shooting. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Suns' Chris Paul takes a shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo's free throws

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/18/21

Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul took a shot at Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and his free-throw shooting.

After the Suns fell to the Bucks 123-119 in Game 5, allowing Milwaukee to take a 3-2 series lead in the NBA Finals, Paul was asked what Phoenix needs to improve to force a Game 7. According to the veteran guard, the Suns need to control the rebounds after free throws, especially on the misses from Antetokounmpo.

Chris Paul said they have to be better on the rebounds they couldn’t gather from the missed free throws by Giannis Antetokounmpo: “Everybody is anticipating him to miss, even him.”
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 18, 2021

Antetokounmpo is not a good free-throw shooter, and just about everyone knows that. The two-time MVP made just 68.5% of his free throws during the regular season and went 4-of-11 from the charity stripe on Saturday night.

Still, Paul and the Suns shouldn't be so confident that Antetokounmpo will continue to miss his free throws. While he may be inconsistent, he went 11-of-18 and 13-of-17 from the line in Games 2 and 3, proving that he can step up in the biggest moments.

The Suns also need to worry about Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton in Game 6. The duo combined for 56 points in Game 5 and appears to be heating up at just the right moment for Milwaukee.

The Bucks lead the Suns 3-2 and will have the opportunity to win their first NBA title since 1971 on Tuesday.

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