3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ fiery win over New Orleans Pelicans
By Dalton Sell
Giannis Antetokounmpo propelled the Milwaukee Bucks with another dominant performance as he notched his second triple-double of the season
Another day, another jaw-dropping performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo. With his top running mate in Middleton sidelined, the Bucks needed the Greek Freak to turn things up a notch, which he did by tallying his second triple-double of the season in the victory.
Offensively, Antetokounmpo was on a tear from start to finish as he tallied 35 points on the night. Shooting an efficient 10-for-14 on his 2-pointers, the Finals MVP put together a highlight reel of emphatic dunks as he bullied his way to the hoop, consistently taking advantage of the depleted Pelicans that never stood a chance. In addition to his dominance close to the hoop, he was feeling it from deep as he buried two triples in four attempts. Also shooting 9-of-12 from the free throw line, this was an outstanding scoring performance from Antetokounmpo all around.
Antetokonmpo’s impact was felt elsewhere as he also totaled 16 rebounds and 10 assists on the night. His passing was on-point throughout the matchup, surveying the floor for his teammates whenever possible, which included several passes to Allen to try and get him in a groove. Whether he was scoring, rebounding, passing, or playing defense, the MVP left his mark on this matchup. Due to his all-around effort, Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high +25 in the single-game +/- en route to the double-digit victory.
NBA.com ranked Antetokounmpo as the leading candidate for league MVP in their latest ladder, and that was before last night’s performance. After a 35 point, 16 rebound, and 10 assist game in a massive victory, it would be even harder to argue with them now. What Antetokounmpo has done this season is special, and this could just be the beginning. Hopefully 2022 is just as kind to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks as 2021 was.
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The Milwaukee Bucks will look to keep their win streak going as they host the Detroit Pistons on Monday, and be sure to catch the action at 7:00 p.m. CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin.