Milwaukee Bucks 2018-19 Season Review: Giannis Antetokounmpo
By Adam McGee
Game of the season
Considering just how frequently Giannis led the Bucks to victories, it feels strange to highlight a game that ended in defeat in this slot.
Having said that, Antetokounmpo’s St. Patrick’s Day performance remains just too impressive to overlook, meaning that in the bigger picture you could almost be forgiven for forgetting the Philadelphia 76ers were the winners on that occasion.
Facing Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons always seems to bring out a different gear in Antetokounmpo’s game, which is all the more impressive considering they’re two of the very few players who boast the size required to have any chance of disrupting him.
After a quiet first quarter effort compared to what would follow, Antetokounmpo gradually stepped things up as the game progressed. With Milwaukee trailing, Antetokounmpo single-handedly drove on his team’s comeback effort right until the game’s final moments.
The end result was a career-high 52 points on 15-of-26 from the field, 3-of-8 from three-point range, and 19-of-21 from the free throw line. Antetokounmpo’s heroics didn’t end there, though, as he also chipped in with 16 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block for good measure.
Considering Giannis’ other two games against the Sixers were equally spectacular (45-13-6-5, 32-18-10-3-2), it’s fair to wonder just how differently the Bucks’ season may have ended if a ball bounced differently and Philadelphia ended up in the Conference Finals.