Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 120-112 win over New York Knicks

Antetokoumpo digs deep

Just beneath the surface of another eye-popping Giannis stat sheet, you will find a rather uneven offensive performance from the Greek Freak. He got off to a pretty slow start, failing to get into any sort of rhythm in the first half.

To his credit, Antetokounmpo only took one jump shot in the first quarter, in which he was just 1-of-4 from the floor. His scoring has buoyed by four made free throws, a byproduct of his early aggression.

Giannis’ second quarter was much more passive, and he ended up with a mere two points. It felt like he was out of the game. Perhaps it’s due to his nagging knee or general fatigue, but on this evening it did not seem to have a whole lot to do with the Knicks defenders.

And, despite strong performances from many other Bucks players, the Knicks were completely in the game until Giannis finally got going in the fourth quarter, in which he scored 13. He was pretty relentless throughout the period, attempting only one shot from outside the paint, and going 7-of-9 on free throws.

The all-around numbers were there for Giannis by the end of the night (10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals). His defense was exceptional in the decisive fourth quarter. Antetokoumpo was a menace as the Knicks tried to hold off the rout, swallowing up pick and rolls and bothering all kinds of shots around the rim.

It was a big night for the 23-year-old superstar. Antetokounmpo’s team was dealing with some unexpected adversity in a game that they needed to win, and he found it within himself to make a difference down the stretch.