The Milwaukee Bucks needed overtime to make it three wins in a row. It was a hard-fought game against the Miami Heat, but thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo, they ran out 121-115 winners.
Wins over the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers had the Bucks going into Saturday night's game with confidence. However, the Miami Heat stuck around and made it difficult, along with some players struggling to find their flow.
Without Damian Lillard, we have seen other Bucks have to step up and fill his shoes in all regards. Ryan Rollins started at point guard but found it tough, scoring five points and giving up four fouls, which saw him play just 14 minutes. Kevin Porter Jr. scored 24 off the bench, AJ Green added 10 and even Pat Connaughton scored nine points that were crucial come the end of the game.
Giannis' triple-double really caught the eyes, and one stat in particular was unbelievable.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was +17, all other starters were in the minuses
An impressive 36 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. That was the stat line for Giannis, who shot impressively too, making 13-of-21 (61.9 percent) from the field and 10-of-14 (71.4 percent) from the free throw line. The most mind-blowing of stats was his +/- being +17, while all the other starters were in the minuses. He quite literally put the team on his back and showed everyone why he should still be in contention for the MVP award.
Miami no longer has Jimmy Butler but has been a real nuisance for the Bucks in recent years (except the 2021 title run). Milwaukee has won four straight against the Heat, and Bam Adebayo being labeled as the "Giannis stopper," has not been able to contain him.
It was Giannis' ninth triple-double of the season and his seventh straight game of scoring over 30 points while shooting over 60 percent from the field. His passing when driving to the basket is something that really stands out, with a dime in the first quarter to Rollins being a real standout.
Doc Rivers said earlier this week that Lillard had received positive news and that they are hoping he can return soon. Bobby Portis will miss Sunday night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans before returning from suspension. Giannis and the supporting cast have managed to keep the team afloat during a tough run of games and being short-handed.
They now sit in the fifth seed, three games back of the Indiana Pacers and half a game ahead of the Detroit Pistons. A doubleheader with the latter is how the Milwaukee Bucks will finish the regular season, so it will be the decider as to what seeds each team takes.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo, there is no limit for the Bucks. The question is whether they can be fully healthy come the postseason and if the role players can show up to aid their superstar.
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