The ‘Greek Freak’ and the Milwaukee Bucks are hitting their stride and playing their best basketball of this season, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is the straw that stirs the drink. Antetokounmpo is making an argument for the third MVP award of his career by playing some of his best ball on both ends of the court, collecting double-doubles with ease almost every night.
It was much of the same on Wednesday night when the Bucks took on the up-and-coming San Antonio Spurs in a high-profile matchup between two of the best internationals players in the game, Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama. Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks pull away in the second half with another double-double: 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in a blowout 121-105 Bucks win.
Antetokounmpo’s double-double was incredibly the 432nd of his 12-year career, passing the ‘Captain’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played with the organization from 1970-75, for the most such games in Bucks history.
Embed from Getty ImagesAntetokounmpo’s dominating effort led the Bucks to their second consecutive win after struggling since their NBA Cup Championship in Las Vegas back in December against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Bucks turned over the calendar with head scratching losses to the Brooklyn Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers, but that seems to be in their rearview mirror now.
After a dismal start to their season, the Bucks have scratched and clawed all the way out of their hole and climbed back into the playoff picture in a pretty winnable Eastern Conference that has numerous average to below average teams in it. As it stands, the Bucks are above the play-in threshold, and with the swell of momentum that they have been building since the start of the NBA Cup they should be able to hold on for move up from that spot. Coach Doc Rivers and company, despite being one of the oldest teams in the league, they are still one of the most talented in the NBA, so they will be a tough out in the playoffs if they can keep playing their best basketball.
Antetokounmpo is putting together another historic season in the ‘Deer District’. Entering Wednesday’s game, he was averaging 31.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game while shooting better than 60% from the field. He is a shoe in for another First Team All-NBA selection and a potential run at an MVP if he keeps that up.
His ‘Robin’, Damian Lillard is starting to find his groove alongside Antetokounmpo as well, and the Bucks have gotten their third star, Khris Middleton back in the swing of things after being sidelined with double ankle surgery. With the trio back together, this is still a formidable team that can still score with just about anybody, and Antetokounmpo changes things just enough on defense for the Bucks to be hard to beat in a seven-game series. If he keeps playing at this level, nobody will want to see them in the postseason.
