Giannis Antetokounmpo has picked up this season right where he left off last year after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship. The Finals MVP looks better and stronger than ever, which should make the rest of the league very worried.
The Minnesota Timberwolves saw up close and personal what Antetokounmpo can do on Wednesday evening. The two-time MVP poured in 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting, while grabbing 16 rebounds and dishing out seven assists. He blocked three shots, proving to be a powerhouse on both sides of the floor.
Former No. 1 overall pick and Timberwolves rising star Anthony Edwards got his second opportunity to play against Antetokounmpo and was still incredulous at the the big man’s dominance. He explained that no matter what Minnesota threw at Giannis, the Bucks star was able to navigate the defense and put the ball in the basket.
“Motherf—er’s 7-2, 280 pounds. … S—, we put four people on him and he’ll still score the ball,” Edwards said after Thursday’s game.
Edwards and the Timberwolves may not have been able to stop Antetokounmpo, but they were able to slow down the rest of the Bucks on Thursday. The rest of Milwaukee’s rotation went 24-of-72 from the floor (33.3 percent) and Minnesota came out on top, 113-108.
Edwards chipped in 25 points and seven rebounds in the win that improved the Timberwolves to 3-1.
The Bucks fell to 3-2 on the year with the loss, but it’s still too early to panic in Milwaukee. Starting point guard Jrue Holiday has been sidelined with an ankle injury that he sustained in the team’s second game, so the team currently lacks the depth that it will need to contend later in the season.
So long as Antetokounmpo is on the floor, the Bucks are among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. If he continues to play at such at high level, Milwaukee may be in line to win a second straight championship.
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Ant sums up what it’s like playing against Giannis 😂 pic.twitter.com/0q3Hmq1aEG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2021
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