Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered an outstanding individual performance Sunday, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists against the Sacramento Kings. The two-time NBA MVP shot 14-of-23 from the field and also recorded two blocks in 34 minutes. Yet Kings head coach Doug Christie had a pointed response after the Miami Heat defeated his team 114-108 on Sunday.

The Kings’ head coach was not impressed by the Greek Freak’s midrange shooting display. Sacramento was seemingly comfortable allowing Giannis Antetokounmpo to attempt those shots rather than giving him opportunities to attack the basket. Speaking after the game, Christie explained his defensive approach with a cheeky prediction.

“Giannis shooting a midrange contested shot; we’re living with that,” said Christie (via Sactown Sports 1140). “Tonight, he knocked them down. I’ll watch him next game; he probably won’t.”

Christie’s assessment was not entirely surprising. For much of his NBA career, Antetokounmpo has built his offensive dominance around his ability to get downhill, overpower defenders, and finish around the rim. Coming into the 2026-27 season, he averaged 14.5 points per game in the paint. He shot 65.1% from the paint, while the percentage drastically dropped to 39.3% on shots outside the paint.

As a result, his outside shooting has remained an area opponents are willing to test. The 31-year-old also has a career three-point shooting percentage of 28.4%. That historical profile helps explain why Sacramento was prepared to concede contested jumpers rather than allow the Heat superstar to consistently penetrate the paint.

However, his shooting numbers this season suggest that the strategy might not be as straightforward as Christie hopes. According to Basketball-Reference’s 2026-27 shooting splits, Giannis Antetokounmpo is converting an impressive 66.1% of his attempts from between three and 10 feet. He has made 39 of his 59 attempts from that distance, which is a considerable increase from last season.

For the Bucks last year, he made 41 of his 96 attempts, converting just 42.7% from between three and 10 feet. His efficiency varies as he moves farther away from the basket.

With the Heat, he is shooting 43.8% from 10 to 16 feet, has imrpoved to 61.1% from 16 feet to the three-point line, and from beyond the arc 45.5% from 16 feet to the three-point line, and 20.8% from beyond the arc. So, Giannis Antetokounmpo is becoming increasingly comfortable with shorter jumpers and shots around the paint, but his longer-range consistency remains a work in progress. The Miami head coach offered a different perspective on his superstar’s developing midrange game.

Rather than treating his jump shooting as a weakness, Erik Spoelstra highlighted the work the forward has invested in. “He’s been working on that, but he always has. I mean, he has a tremendous work ethic. He’s really been working on his posture and getting his balance and timing right. We see him work on it all the time.

“He’s a very good shooter. When you see him in practice sessions, we tell him all the time, trust the work, and when they’re building that much of a wall and backing way off, those are just kind of rhythm, easy jump shots. When he steps in it with good posture, those are good looks for him.”

While the discussion surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s shooting attracted attention, Miami’s victory was also shaped by important contributions from its supporting cast.

Klay Thompson finished with 23 points, knocking down seven three-pointers on 13 attempts. Bam Adebayo contributed 18 points and eight rebounds, while Davion Mitchell added 17 points and 11 assists. For Sacramento, rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. produced an impressive 32-point, 10-assist performance. However, his efforts were not enough to prevent another disappointing result for the Kings.

Miami shot 50% from the field and 42% from three-point range, compared with Sacramento’s 46% and 30%, respectively. The Heat also benefited from Sacramento’s 18 turnovers, five more than Miami committed.

The Kings fought their way back after falling behind by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, tying the contest at 95 in the fourth with 6:12 remaining. However, Miami responded with a decisive 19-13 finish to secure the six-point victory.

The post "He Probably Won't": Kings HC Doug Christie Takes Cheeky Shot at Giannis Antetokounmpo After Loss To Heat appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.