With Damian Lillard sidelined for the time being, everyone on the Milwaukee Bucks has been forced to take on more facilitating responsibilities.
Giannis Antetokounmpo seemingly took it to heart in Milwaukee's recent matchup against the rival Philadelphia 76ers. The Greek Freak put on a passing clinic, flexing the most underrated part of his offensive arsenal. That, paired with all of the other stats he collected, made for one of the craziest stat lines Antetokounmpo has had in a long time and the first of its kind in NBA history.
Giannis notches a never before seen stat line in Bucks' win
After a turnaround hook shot with about a minute to play, Brook Lopez gave Giannis Antetokounmpo his 20th assist of the night. The Greek Freak had been dealing all night, tallying six assists apiece in the final three quarters after just two in the opening period. Whether he found the cutter down low or perfectly placed the pass for the open shooter, Giannis was orchestrating these passes beautifully.
Oh, yeah, in addition to the 20 assists, he also had 35 points and 17 rebounds. Per the Bucks, that is the first time in NBA history a player has put up these numbers in a game. It feels like Giannis is doing something unheard of every single night these days, but this has to be one of the most eye-catching feats he's achieved this year, and that's saying something.
Due to the high assist total, it shouldn't be surprising that outside of Giannis, six other Bucks finished with double-digit points in this one, led by Brook Lopez's 17 and Kyle Kuzma's 16. Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince each had 13, while AJ Green had 12 and the ascending Ryan Rollins had 10. Talk about a team effort.
Antetokounmpo has always been a great passer, but it's been overshadowed by his dominance as a scorer and rebounder. Without Damian Lillard, he's gotten a chance to flex it more lately, and the 20 assists certainly speak for themselves.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, the Milwaukee Bucks went on to secure a 126-113 win on the road. With how short-handed the 76ers were, missing Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and so many other bodies, many thought the Bucks should breeze through this one, but Philly put up a great fight until the end.
The Milwaukee Bucks have now won two in a row after a recent losing skid, and they need to keep this up as they aim to climb in the standings.
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