Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton summed up his reaction to the incredible NBA Finals moment that happened in Game 4.
"I kind of said, in my opinion, it's the best block of all time,” he said postgame after the Bucks tied the series at 2-2 against the Phoenix Suns.
It was a strong statement but the moment deserved its merit.
With a little over a minute left to play and the Bucks ahead by two points 101-99, the Suns had the ball and were looking for a tying basket. Devin Booker used a screen from Deandre Ayton and after he turned the corner, threw a lob pass. Ayton caught it and was ready to slam it home before Giannis Antetokounmpo somehow recovered on the play and delivered an all-time block.
GIANNIS SAYS NO.@Bucks up 4 with 27.2 left.#NBAFinals on ABC pic.twitter.com/hUdbBniFlD
— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2021
"Obviously, we're a little biased and you can talk about the LeBron (James) block as well,” Connaughton went on. "But as far as a block where he was covering the pick-and-roll, he had to judge where the pass was, where Ayton was catching it and trying to dunk it, above the box, it's about as impressive as you can get.”
The insane swat by Giannis was so good that we find ourselves now asking if there’s some truth to what Connaughton said. Was it the greatest block of all time? If it’s not, then where does it rank among the best? To be fair, there have been quite a number of fantastic blocks in Finals history. And like Connaughton said, a little bit of bias always plays a role.
There was the 1993 play from the Bulls’ Horace Grant when he knocked the ball out of the Suns’ Kevin Johnson to seal the first Chicago three-peat. We can talk about Hakeem Olajuwon’s recovery to tip the shot from John Starks, giving the Rockets the Game 6 win over the Knicks in 1994.
More recently during the 2013 Finals between the Spurs and Heat, there was that in-your-face block from LeBron James that repelled the incoming Tiago Splitter. In the same series, James’ teammate Chris Bosh made a last-second closeout that swallowed a shot from Danny Green in overtime, paving the way for a Game 7. And of course, there was the 2016 Game 7 chasedown from LeBron on Andre Igoudala that became part of the King's personal all-time greatest hits.
It is still important, however, to put Giannis’ block into perspective given all the outstanding blocks that we’ve seen in the past. We have to put it in context, not so much as to rank it among the best, but to appreciate it even further. We have to consider the magnitude surrounding the play, its degree of difficulty, and the overall wow factor of what transpired.
First, let’s dissect the stakes. If Ayton made the dunk, the game would have been tied and there’s no telling what would have happened. Maybe the Suns win Game 4 and therefore own a commanding 3-1 series lead heading back to Phoenix. It was such a critical moment given the time (1:14 left), score (two-point game), and the repercussions if Giannis didn’t meet Ayton at the rim. Instead, two points were saved and the Bucks were able to extend the lead.
Second, the degree of difficulty of Giannis’ block shouldn’t be overlooked.
"I thought I was going to get dunked on, to be honest with you,” Giannis told reporters afterward. "But you know, going down the stretch, just do whatever it takes to win the game. Just put yourself in a position that can win the game."
We all know that the two-time MVP has incredible reach and athleticism, but what stood out here was how he was able to use all those superhuman skills and combine them with his reaction time. The guy was guarding Booker after the pick-and-roll and was two steps behind the rolling Ayton. He wasn’t even looking at first. And when he did, he turned and rose almost in one fluid motion to meet Ayton at the apex of the dunk.
"I was late. Usually, a play like that, if I was on the opposite side, it's a dunk,” Giannis admitted, mentioning that he initially committed too much on Booker. "But as I said, I didn't jump to block the ball. I jumped toward the rim. I feel like that's what kind of helped me put me in a position to get the block.”
Giannis even used his hands to illustrate how he flung himself towards the rim in the hopes of denying Ayton at the top. It was like a god explaining to mortals what having powers feels like.
Lastly, there was the wow factor of the block.
Or as Khris Middleton put it, "it was one of those oh [expletive] moments.”
The rejection in real-time came suddenly — a swift mid-air collision between the dunker and the blocker. If the game was in Phoenix, it would have sucked the air right out of the building. Watch it again in slow motion, notice how it was majestic as it was breathtaking. Then look at the photos as the feat is magnified tenfold.
"Just a hustle play." https://t.co/3jRboXAfbR pic.twitter.com/U335i6FOSf
— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2021
Middleton had 40 points and Giannis had a near triple-double with a line of 26-14-8. Booker also had a huge game with 42 points. But amidst all that, Giannis’ defensive play had a life of its own in Game 4.
Given the magnitude, the level of complexity, and the overall awe brought by the block, it deserves to be mentioned among the greatest defensive plays in NBA history. There could be a debate if it’s the best but James’ 2016 Game 7 block set an extremely high bar. It had everything from being a tie game, under two minutes, the unbelievable chasedown with LeBron coming out of nowhere, and it became one of the key pieces which led to the championship. James’ block has its own lore and even its own Wikipedia page to boot.
But we can enjoy and marvel at Giannis’ block on its own and not get caught up where it ranks in NBA Finals history. It was a heck of a play and rightfully deserves to be among the best moments of the game.
"That's an NBA Finals special moment right there, and we're going to need more of them,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.
More special moments? Yes, please.
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