'No mercy': Aussie NBA star terrorised by former mentor
Australian Thon Maker has been savaged by basketball fans after copping a brutal lesson by his former mentor in a chastening NBA Playoffs defeat.
Maker had another poor shooting night as his Detroit Pistons were soundly defeated again by the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks, powered by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, won 120-99 in Milwaukee on Wednesday and hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Antetokounmpo had 26 points and repeatedly terrorised his former teammate Maker with dunks and huge defensive plays.
Giannis Antetokounmpo disrespects his old teammate again, savagely blocks Thon Maker. #Bucks pic.twitter.com/gbXnT53Ybx
— Bucks Nation (@BucksNationCP) April 18, 2019
The Bucks also thumped the Pistons 122-90 in Sunday’s game one.
Maker was drafted by the Bucks in 2016 but the Sudanese-born, Australian-raised forward-centre asked for a trade mid-season when his minutes dwindled and was shipped to the Pistons in February.
Maker has had a horror shooting run in the two play-off losses, missing eight of his 10 field goals in game one and seven of nine in game two.
He has missed all nine three-point attempts.
Maker will repeatedly appear on Antetokounmpo’s highlight reel from the game, including a massive second-quarter dunk over the Australian.
4 angles of Giannis posterizing former teammate Thon Maker!!
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 18, 2019
Giannis gone make Thon Maker retire after this series…
— Daddio👌🏾💯 (@big_zzaddyyy) April 18, 2019
Giannis is DESTROYING Thon Maker!! No mercy on former teammates.
— Road To NBA Finals (2-0) (@bucksin6ixs) April 18, 2019
Meanwhile #Bucks are rolling once again over the @pistons Giannis can’t be stoped out here Blocking and Dunking on Thon Maker
— RJ.ROD (@RJROD24) April 18, 2019
What Giannis is predictably doing to Thon Maker all series. #NBA pic.twitter.com/IWp8jv4saX
— BetStars USA (@BetStarsUSA) April 18, 2019
Giannis is destroying Thon Maker’s career 😤
— Champagnepapi (@BendtheNeeil) April 18, 2019
Giannis SLAMS it on Thon Maker 😲🔥 pic.twitter.com/MvZTZVThV0
— Bob Sucka (@DickRoberts20) April 18, 2019
@Giannis_An34 on Thon Maker tonight haha #fearthedear pic.twitter.com/Mjb1qrTHG2
— Michael Gradus (@MichaelGradus) April 18, 2019
Giannis making it his mission to ruin maker's confidence makes for entertaining tv
— dwort14 (@dwort14) April 18, 2019
Giannis just ate Thon Maker
— Nikhil Sharma (@NikhilSharma11_) April 18, 2019
The Pistons – who will host the next two games – have been without their All-Star power forward Blake Griffin, who is suffering knee soreness.
Earlier, the Boston Celtics rallied to defeat the Indiana Pacers and take a 2-0 lead in their play-off series, although their Australian big man Aron Baynes’ bad run of injuries may have continued.
The Celtics won 99-91 on Wednesday in Boston and need just two more wins to move on to the second round.
The Pacers led by 12 points late in the third quarter but Kyrie Irving, who top-scored with 37 points, and Jayson Tatum, with 26 points, led Boston’s comeback with major plays in the final quarter.
Baynes was sensational in the opening two minutes of the game with a dunk, block and three-pointer, but his hot form cooled in the second period when he fought for a rebound and appeared to twist an ankle.
He did not play in the fourth quarter.
The big Queenslander has struggled with injuries this season, missing 31 regular season games with a broken hand, bruised foot and ankle sprain.
With AAP