Freaking out
As the Bucks bounced back from their previous defeat, so did superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo Sunday afternoon.
Playing 30 and a half minutes of action, Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points on 21 shots (1-for-5 from three, 9-of-16 from the foul line), 19 rebounds, nine assists, seven turnovers, one block, one steal and was a +3 on the day.
Antetokounmpo grew into his scoring performance by both breaking through the wall of defenders the Suns attempted to form, as well as running out and throwing down easy scoring opportunities at the basket. The reigning MVP’s scoring efficiency still fell just under his usual standards and that was due to his struggles from the 3-point line and after shooting 39.1 percent for the month of December, Antetokounmpo has hit 28.5 percent of his 63 3-point tries in 2020.
But Antetokounmpo mitigated his long range shooting struggles with his ability to clean up on the glass and extend possessions with six offensive rebounds. And the same went for his ability to set up his teammates with easy scoring chances as well.
Overall, Antetokounmpo was back to his usual standard of excellence and looked more like himself after showing some rust last time out.