Giannis Antetokounmpo says they have to be ready for the next time they’ll face off against the Indiana Pacers

Giannis knows the Pacers will be around for quite a while.

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Regardless of the shenanigans that marred their 140-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo knows the Indiana Pacers are for real and won’t be going away anytime soon. In that regard, the two-time MVP knows he and his team must be ready the next time they face off on January 2, 2024.

They’ll play their best

Giannis may not admit it, but it’s likely he circled the date on his calendar. He knows that after their loss to the Pacers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals, he wanted payback. He also knows that while the Pacers may not be a high-profile team like the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, or the Miami Heat, they’re a dangerous team that won’t be taken lightly.

“At the end of the day, good team, they played extremely hard. They have a great coach, they’re very well coached, and we know that we are going to see them in January again, and we know that they’re going to play at their best, and we gotta be ready,” Giannis said after scoring a career-high 64 points on Wednesday night.

The Pacers have had the Pacers’ number this season, first defeating them 126-124 in Indiana before coming up with a 129-118 win in the IST semis. The Bucks’ Wednesday night win over the Pacers was their first against Indiana this season.

Giannis knows what to expect

The Bucks and Pacers will duke it out in back-to-back games on January 2 and 4. Antetokounmpo knows they must bring their A-game or risk getting defeated again.

“If we’re not ready, they’re going to beat us like the last two times that we saw them,” Giannis shared.

The Pacers also bolstered their roster with the addition of veteran forward James Johnson. Now playing in his 15th season in the league, Johnson is a rugged forward with a reputation for being a gritty defender and generally someone no NBA player wants to mess with.

Free agent F James Johnson is returning to the Indiana Pacers on a one-year deal, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Johnson played for the Pacers last year. This will be his 15th NBA season. pic.twitter.com/et55WrHhTa

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 14, 2023

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