Back in action
After right shoulder soreness sidelined him last time out, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to action in their loss to the Nuggets.
Antetokounmpo certainly got off to a fast start and contributed to the Bucks’ strong first quarter, setting the stage for him to reach a potential triple-double. But as the game went along, the 25-year-old was flustered and bothered by all of the attention he got from various Nuggets defenders, some of which caught the ire of Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.
The end result left Antetokounmpo with a highly inefficient night by his lofty standards and he ended up collecting 18 paint points by converting 9 of his 17 finishing attempts from the restricted area, per NBA.com/stats.
Perhaps the combination of battering through opposing defenders and the long layoff between action resulted in an abnormal performance. And it wasn’t without some worries as Antetokounmpo walked off the floor late in the fourth quarter battling a cramp in his left leg.
Khris Middleton said Giannis told him his late-game injury was just a cramp.
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) February 1, 2020
All in all, the reigning MVP posted 31 points on 27 shots (1-of-5 from downtown, 8-of-12 from the foul line), 16 rebounds, nine assists, two turnovers as well as pair of blocks, one steal and was a -7 in nearly 32 minutes of run.