Incredibly well-rested following their win over the Miami Heat several days ago, the Milwaukee Bucks welcomed the Washington Wizards to Fiserv Forum.
After missing that game against Miami, Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup with a week's worth of rest under his belt. He played like it. The Greek Freak came out as energetic as ever, making his presence felt from the opening tip. After playing the entire first quarter to get his legs back under him, Giannis had 15 points, four assists and three rebounds. He certainly didn't stop there.
Giannis Antetokounmpo posts his first career 40-point triple-double
Building off that strong first quarter, Antetokounmpo went on to finish with 42 points, 12 boards and 11 assists in a 124-114 victory. Adding to his illustrious resume, the Greek Freak tallied his very first 40-point triple-double with that stat line. It was truly Giannis firing on all cylinders, attacking the paint with authority, getting his teammates involved and making his presence felt on the glass with boards.
All of that goes without even mentioning his defense, including a clutch block on Corey Kispert with about two and a half minutes to play to help fend off the Wizards' fourth-quarter surge.
The one thing that wasn't working for Giannis was his mid-range, which has been red-hot for most of the season. Still, he finished with those 42 points on 62.5 percent shooting.
While Milwaukee's slow start to the season has overshadowed it, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been playing some of the best basketball of his career this year. He should unquestionably be among the top names in the MVP race, especially with the Milwaukee Bucks now above .500 (10-9) for the first time since their season-opener victory against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Giannis wasn't alone in taking down the Wizards. Damian Lillard accounted for 25 points, 10 assists and three steals. Brook Lopez looked tremendous with 18 points, three assists and three blocks on the night. AJ Green continued his breakout campaign with 13 points on 4-of-8 field goal shooting off the bench. This group appears to be coming together amid this ongoing six-game win streak.
The Milwaukee Bucks will now have a few days to rest once again before hitting the road on Tuesday to face the Detroit Pistons in what should be an interesting NBA Cup Game. Both teams are 3-0 in the Cup play, and one will fall in Tuesday's contest.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.