Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from big win over Los Angeles Lakers
By Dalton Sell
Giannis Antetokounmpo drops a season-high 47 points for the Milwaukee Bucks in win over the Los Angeles Lakers
No one hates losing more than Giannis Antetokounmpo, so after an embarrassing loss against the Atlanta Hawks in the Bucks’ last outing, the Greek Freak came out with a purpose last night.
Wanting to set the tone for his team, Antetokounmpo scored 17 points in the first quarter, looking dominant as ever. This would be a trend throughout the game, and after 36 minutes of action, Antetokounmpo finished with 47 points on a highly-efficient 18-of-23 shooting from the field. Surprisingly, this included 3-of-4 from 3-point range, as the MVP was feeling himself from behind the arc all night. Antetokounmpo also looked good at the stripe by shooting 8-of-11 on the night to give himself an added boost.
Offensively, Antetokounmpo got whatever he wanted. He consistently bullied his way to the hoop on numerous occasions, getting several and-one opportunities as the smaller Lakers tried to keep him in check. When they walled up and forced him to stay out on the perimeter, he would let it fly with confidence, and the results speak for themselves. This was pure dominance from the Finals MVP, as he seemed more motivated than ever to help his team get back on the right track. He did so on national television, which is sure to catch some attention, as Antetokounmpo’s dominant night may have helped catapult his name into the current MVP conversation.
The Bucks will certainly have to string together some more wins for that to become a reality, but they took a step in the right direction last night, thanks to Antetokounmpo. With Middleton having a tough time for most of the night on the offensive end, along with the struggles of Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen, this was a much-appreciated effort from the big man.