Giannis Antetokounmpo’s last two games perfectly highlight his greatness

There is no denying that Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of, if not the greatest player in the NBA. Yet, for the people that still need some convincing, look no further than the Greek Freak’s last two appearances for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he has outright dominated against two contenders within the Eastern Conference.

Assessing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s last two games with the Milwaukee Bucks

Over his previous two games, Antetokounmpo has averaged 42 points on 66.7 percent shooting from the floor while also tallying 14 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and 1.5 blocks.

In Tuesday’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, Antetokounmpo was a driving force behind the Bucks’ comeback victory by scoring 40 points on 16-of-24 shooting. He scored 12 of those points in the fourth period while missing just one of his five shot attempts, coming up clutch. However, it was not just Antetokounmpo’s offense that helped the Bucks seal the deal as he earned one of his three blocks in the closing seconds as he blocked Joel Embiid’s game-tying layup attempt. It was a sensational two-way performance from Antetokounmpo as the Bucks took down what many said was the MVP front runner at that time in Embiid and a premiere East contender.

The Greek Freak finished with 40 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and a steal in just 38 minutes of action.

Coming off that performance, Antetokounmpo one-upped himself as the Bucks visited a familiar foe in the Brooklyn Nets. Antetokounmpo was once again dominant as he scored 44 points on an efficient 14-of-21 shooting. Like the game against Philadelphia, a sizeable portion of his damage came late in the game, where he took over after Khris Middleton was ejected. Trailing by three in the closing moments of regulation, Antetokounmpo buried a step-back 3-pointer to send it to an overtime period. He stepped up in the final moments once again by nailing two clutch free throws to give the Bucks a 120-119 lead, which was the final score.

In total, he finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and a steal in 39 minutes. Incredible.

Antetokounmpo has been phenomenal all year long, but it feels like these last two games have finally gotten the attention of the NBA world. While the 27-year-old has been mentioned in the ongoing MVP race, not many have had him listed as their favorite, but following these last two games, that may begin to change. First Things First co-host Christopher Broussard, who does have an MVP vote, acknowledged that these two games have pushed Antetokounmpo to the top of his voting ladder, though there are still some regular season games to go. Given just how dominant Antetokounmpo was in these two games against some stiff competition, this should not be surprising. Former NBA All-Star Antoine Walker also gave Antetokounmpo his props by saying how these two games have highlighted his clutch play, calling him the best player in the entire association in the same segment.

While Giannis Antetokounmpo did not need these two games to prove how sensational he is, his play in back-to-back games has undeniably caught some well-deserved attention. His stock in the MVP race may indeed rise following this stretch and Antetokounmpo would certainly welcome yet another of those in the cabinet, but at the end of the day, the ultimate goal remains competing for another championship in Milwaukee. He does not care for individual achievements or games, but it is hard not to praise him for these last two fantastic games.

Not to mention that these two games now have Antetokounmpo tied with LeBron James for the league lead in scoring with 30.1 points per game. Giannis Antetokounmpo is just flat-out unreal.