vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Dec. 11
In the rare times when Antetokounmpo is sidelined or misses action due to injury or illness over the last two seasons, Ilyasova has been the go-to replacement for the reigning MVP in the starting lineup for Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.
That was certainly the case back on Dec. 11 when the Bucks hosted the New Orleans Pelicans and came away with a 127-112 victory, which stood as the 16th consecutive win in their 18-game winning streak earlier in the season.
Ilyasova was sensational all night long on the offensive end as he used his veteran savvy to cut or roll off the ball for easy, point-blank scores at the basket at the expense of New Orleans’ inattentive defense. Chipping in a pair of threes and a patented fadeaway mid-ranger, Ilyasova was highly efficient over his outing.
And once again, Ilyasova’s activity on the glass and on both ends of the floor was a constant presence as he came one rebound shy of compiling a double-double performance to end his night.
The 32-year-old ended up tying his season-high of 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting (2-for-3 from deep), nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and was a +19 in nearly 27 minutes of run.