WHEN CHARLOTTE HORNETS center Mason Plumlee launched a left-handed, 15-foot, shot-put-like jumper over Brook Lopez on Dec. 3, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks' bench reacted as if they had just seen a UFO fly through the Spectrum Center.
The sight of the right-handed Plumlee making a midrange jumper with his left hand was so stunning to Antetokounmpo that he stood with his arms slightly bent and hands ready in anticipation of something incredible, as if Plumlee was about to hit a winning shot.
After the Bucks called timeout, Antetokounmpo, who wasn't playing that night, was still replaying what he had just seen, putting a finger on his upper lip and then his hand over his mouth like a detective trying to solve a crime.