Master Giannis Antetokounmpo victory Lakers Domain: Does Giannis Antetokounmpo's dominance in the victory over the Lakers indicate a guard pass?

Anthony Davis wasn't ready, and Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't speeding for one of his units from zero to sixty in the basket as the defending MVP rose 23 feet and quietly hit his fifth triple of the game.

He turned and winked at the camera, a signal to a nationally televised audience that he was supposed to be watching a contest between two giants.

It was more of a announcement, a kind of coronation, as Milwaukee Bucks of Antetokounmpo escaped with a convincing 111-104 victory on Thursday night over the Los Angeles Lakers of LeBron James and Davis in the FISERV Forum.

Master Giannis Antetokounmpo victory Lakers Domain

Antetokounmpo's message was loud and clear: I'm the best player in the game.

No one thought it would happen so soon and so suddenly, not with LeBron on his revenge tour and playing on a plateau that no other 35-year-old player has reached. But Antetokounmpo at least has become a threat from the 3-point line, the only hole in its impressive complete game, turning into a nuclear weapon that cannot be defended by mere mortals.

Hitting 5 3 set a personal record, so he certainly won't take part in the 3-point contest on the All-Star Saturday Night, but his long-range shot is no longer a weakness that can be exploited. Every time he took a Thursday night, it seemed like he was in a critical juncture, as the Lakers tried to put their possessions together to return from a 21-point deficit, or late in the game to take out the coach. of the Lakers, Frank Vogel. bank to stop the bleeding.

Antetokounmpo has a sense and a sense that came from his time as former Bucks coach and current Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, and it was against Kidd's team that unleashed all his fury.

"What we've been talking about is that his confidence is growing, his willingness to take [3 points] is the first step," said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. "I don't know what the right or right term is for him."

There is no official decree, no championship belt to change hands. But when the defending MVP takes his game to another level, he's more than just consolidating his position among the elite.

It is widening the gap between him and the rest of the field.

This is what happens when an MVP drops two MVP caliber players. This is what LeBron used to do when he could physically dismantle all opponents on the floor and not have to choose their places.

It's not a chance for James, it's no shame for him if what happened on Thursday is really going to be true for months and years to come. But it feels like Giannis' time, and he seems determined to maximize it while he's in complete control of his game.

James is not going to be silent at night. He did not do so on Thursday, recovering from a slow start to finish with a triple-double (21 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists), but two late deliveries ended the Lakers' small chance that the Bucks would make them. more than sweat.

He will have more to say as the season goes on, but will his lift go to the attic as consistently as Antetokounmpo's at this stage? Antetokounmpo is playing in the perfect system for him, yes, but there is no equal next to him.

James needed Davis with him in the Lakers for a reason.

"I'm not supposed to be here. I wasn't choice number 1. AD was. LeBron was. He wasn't even supposed to be here," Antetokounmpo said. "I'm just happy to go through this process and help my team. I'm glad to see the end of the day result. The shots I made today, four or five years ago [through practice]" .

Antetokounmpo tried to downplay the importance of beating the Lakers, saying that it was just another game that didn't matter in the late 82's. But their play, and the use of stars by the Lakers, seemed to indicate otherwise. .

Davis played with ankle and was unable to rest in the second half, with 43 minutes left. James played 36 minutes and Vogel had plenty of time to throw in the towel, considering that this was the end of a 10-day East turn, but he refused.