The Milwaukee Bucks have turned things around from a rough start, and much of that is thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo taking his already amazing game to an even higher level.
In the last six games he played, he has posted three triple-doubles.
“He’s been amazing because he’s scoring, but more importantly, he’s getting everybody involved,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after the Bucks won 124-114 against the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. “It’s so difficult to help off a passer that can score. There’s a lot of guys in this league who can score, (but) they ain’t passing. You can go trap them. You can kind of junk up the game. But the way Giannis is passing, you’ve got to pick your poison.”
Antetokounmpo scored 42 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and had 11 assists on Saturday for the highest-scoring triple-double of his career, helping the Bucks win their sixth straight game.
After a tough start, losing eight of their first 10 games, the Bucks have now won eight of their last nine games. They are now 10-9 for the first time since their season opener, when they beat Philadelphia. The Bucks showed their improvement on Saturday by managing to win even when they weren’t playing their best.
“If this was the third game or fourth game of the season, we probably would have lost that game,” Antetokounmpo said. “Now we just know — no matter if it looks pretty, if we’re playing well — we’ve got to figure out ways to win the game.”
Antetokounmpo has been finding many ways to help his team lately. His 42-point performance on Saturday raised his season scoring average to an NBA-leading 32.9 points per game. He is also averaging 11.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists.
Rivers said on Saturday that this is “by far” the best stretch he’s seen from Antetokounmpo since taking over as the Bucks’ coach last season.
“Because it’s not just scoring,” Rivers said. “It’s everything. He’s blocking shots. He’s rebounding the ball. He’s passing the ball. He’s starting our break. Him and Dame (Lillard), their two-man game has been fantastic. He’s just doing a lot of stuff for us, and he’s doing it in the flow. It doesn’t look forced.”
Antetokounmpo recorded his first triple-double of the season on November 16, with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists in a close loss to Charlotte. The Bucks haven’t lost since.
Six days later, Antetokounmpo had 37 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a win against the Indiana Pacers.
His most recent triple-double came after he missed a 106-103 victory at Miami on Tuesday due to swelling in his left knee. Saturday’s game was the first game Antetokounmpo had played in a week. He said it took him some time to get back into his rhythm but that the time off also helped him in other ways.
“I felt powerful because obviously I took two or three days after the Miami game to lift some weights, get my legs under me,” Antetokounmpo said. “So I felt powerful. Every move was powerful out there.”
That power helped Antetokounmpo achieve his 48th career triple-double, and his eighth with at least 35 points. After the game, the Bucks pointed out that Antetokounmpo had matched Michael Jordan’s career total of triple-doubles with 35 or more points.
Antetokounmpo didn’t think too much about that milestone, instead focusing on the Bucks’ next game, a matchup in the NBA Cup against Detroit on Tuesday.
“I just try not to pay attention to that,” Antetokounmpo said. “When I’m going to be 40 and somewhere in Hawaii or in the Caribbean and drinking a pina colada and arguing with my wife about how (great) I was when I used to play, I can say, ‘Yeah, me and Michael Jordan did that,’ put myself in the same sentence. For now, I try to stay locked in and focus in on the next one against Detroit.”
