​SALT LAK CITY — In the wake of Doc Rivers questioning Giannis Antetokounmpo’s basketball IQ and commitment to the Milwaukee Bucks when Rivers coached him last season, the Miami Heat prime offseason acquisition offered his response Sunday — followed by something of an apology by Rivers.Speaking after Sunday night’s 114-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center, Antetokounmpo addressed the comments Rivers made last week on a podcast with Bill Simmons.Among the takes by Rivers, who now is working as an NBC analyst, on the podcast was, “Giannis wanted out, but he was a Buck. And he didn’t want to be the bad guy. He wanted (management) and those guys to say, ‘We’re trading you,’ instead of him asking for a trade. To me, that was the game that was being played.”Rivers also said, “He has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t necessarily have this super IQ at the same time. It’s really a strange thing, and he really has one way: downhill, force, force. Every play, he wants to force it.”Antetokounmpo initially attempted Sunday to indicate he was unaware of Rivers’ words.However, with the comments widely reported, it was not something easily brushed aside.“Who said that?” Antetokounmpo initially offered.“Oh, my God. First of all, he’s not my coach. My coach is coach Spo. But he’s a guy, a coach that I’ve worked (with) in the past. I’m speechless.”When further asked by Eric Nehm of The Athletic about Rivers’ comment, Antetokounmpo said. “You gotta go ask him why he thought that. That’s on him, that’s not on me. I just gotta focus on my team and what I gotta do and how I can be better and how can I help the team.”The door then opened to a more visceral reaction.“But God, that’s crazy,” Antetokounmpo said in the wake of going for 29 points and 14 rebounds in the victory over the Kings. “Never let bitterness or pettiness get in front of your goals and dreams, man. For every athlete out there, never let that (happen), that’s insane. But you gotta go ask him why he said what he said. Not me.”Rivers, who said he reached out to Antetokounmpo in the wake of Antetokounmpo’s comment, then offered somewhat of a retraction to ESPN.“I was saying he was one of the most interesting guys,” Rivers said. “He makes unbelievable passes, but then at times because of his force he plays at it gets in the way of his feel. It was more of a compliment. I hate this and feel bad about it. I apologize for the distraction. I’m not trying to be one.”Rivers added, “The point I was trying to make is whenever you have a great player, you have to fit the team around that great player. That is the point I was trying to make. It’s not always easy. It’s a compliment. I’ve been successful and unsuccessful at it. But your job is to create the best team you can possibly create around that great player and his talents.”In the wake of Rivers’ initial comments, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra sa