Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 125-112 win over Denver Nuggets

Takeaway no. 2 from Milwaukee Bucks’ win over Nuggets – Giannis Antetokounmpo finds his rhythm

After putting up a string of dominant performances over the last week, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo got off to a rocky start Monday night.

Whether it was the residual effect of being on a long road trip as well as playing in Denver at a mile above sea level, the two-time MVP was playing with heavy legs and struggling to stay energized for long stretches. That, in turn, neutralized Antetokounmpo over the course of the first half.

But that wasn’t the case in the second half as Antetokounmpo eventually mustered through the adversity to vault the Bucks over the Nuggets. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it took a couple of flushes, a big pair of 3-pointers and good trips to the free throw line for Antetokounmpo to score 21 points over just the second half.

In the end, Antetokounmpo finished with a team-high 30 points on 23 shots (2-for-5 from deep, 6-for-8 from the foul line), nine rebounds, three blocks and two turnovers in over 34 minutes on the floor.

It wasn’t an ideal performance from Antetokounmpo, but fighting through the issues that nagged at him on the night proved to be more than half of the battle.