Giannis is so awesome that he converted a Westbrook fan mid-game

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the NBA’s most remarkable, versatile and flat-out best players this season, a legitimate game-changer whose two-way impact has helped the Milwaukee Bucks bounce back from a disappointing 2015-16 season to return to the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff chase. His tremendous play earns new fans each and every night, especially when “The Greek Freak” cranks up his force-of-nature flow to go toe-to-toe with another peerless monster … like, say, Monday night’s opponent, MVP favorite Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The shot — or, more accurately, the block:

… and the chaser:

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Now, this being the Internet and all, it remains possible that this is a bit, and that the young dude depicted didn’t throw Russ overboard just because Giannis pinned his transition layup to the glass midway through the third quarter of Monday’s contest … or, for that matter, because Antetokounmpo was about to pack Westbrook again, even more violently, albeit on a play whistled dead for a foul call before the moment of impact:

Whatever the impetus for the quick change, it’s hard to blame a young fan — no matter where he happens to grow up — for coming to the gym in the jersey of an All-NBA point guard whose all-court dominance and unrivaled explosiveness have made him one of the sport’s most compelling figures. By the same token, bandwagon hemming and hawing aside, it’d be tough to blame that same young dude for deciding to go green on Monday, whether in response to Russ busting out the Discount Double Check belt-strapping celebration after knocking down a second-quarter 3-pointer in the land of Aaron Rodgers or, more likely, after watching all 6-foot-11 of Antetokounmpo in jaw-dropping action:

Giannis led the way with 26 points on 10-for-19 shooting, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in 41 minutes to help lead the Bucks to a 98-94 win over the Thunder in Milwaukee on Monday. In addition to his statement-making swats on Russ, Antetokounmpo also delivered the highlight of the night, a full-fledged posterization of Oklahoma City big man Domantas Sabonis that saw Giannis dunk a ball that damn near every other driver in the NBA would have had to lay up or float, which is the kind of must-be-seen-to-be-believed play he now makes on a nearly nightly basis:

Westbrook held up his end of the appointment-viewing bargain, pouring in 30 points (albeit on 9-for-28 shooting) to go with seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in 36 minutes of work:

… and giving OKC a chance to tie or take the lead with a great individual defensive effort to strip Bucks forward Jabari Parker with 14 seconds left in the fourth:

But with Milwaukee holding a 96-94 lead and less than 10 seconds on the clock, Westbrook fell prey to a similar swipe, as Bucks swingman Tony Snell reached his right hand in at exactly the right time to knock the ball out of the All-Star point guard’s hand, off his knee, and out of bounds:

The change in possession forced OKC to foul, and Bucks rookie Malcolm Brogdon knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game and send Milwaukee to its third win in four games.

“He blew right past me, but I had a little tip of the basketball, it got his knee and I got lucky on that one,” Snell said after the game.

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Whether luck or skill, Snell’s swipe and Brogdon’s clutch free throws helped ensure that Antetokounmpo’s stellar evening — which he capped by drawing three Thunder defenders on a drive to the paint with the game tied at 94 before spinning into the lane and dumping the ball off to center John Henson, who laid it in for what would prove to be the game-winning bucket.

“You look at what he does on a consistent basis, that’s what stars are measured on,” said Bucks coach Jason Kidd after the game.

And, evidently, what gets fans to ditch their old allegiances in favor of getting on board for the next big thing.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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