Giannis becomes the first player in NBA history to record 35+ points, 20+ assists, and 15+ rebounds in a game
On a night that started quite bleakly against the tanking Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s superhuman talent carried the Milwaukee Bucks across the line to escape with the 126-113 win. Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history (!) to record 35+ points, 20+ assists, and 15+ rebounds in a game; six other Bucks reached double figures. For the 76ers, Adem Bona had a heck of a night, dropping a career-high 28 points on 13/15 shooting. Quentin Grimes added 24 points and 10 helpers. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.
What Did We Learn?
I think what Giannis having 20 assists tells me is that he is so damn lethal when he leans into the pass. Watching the assists back, he was, by and large, quick to get off the ball when they sent bodies at him, and I think that is the key to winning in the playoffs—especially if Dame is out. Sometimes the ball can get a little sticky with Antetokounmpo, and this game should be proof that leaning into the pass is the way to go. It allows his teammates to get in a better rhythm and eases the physical burden no him, too. Darvin Ham, who filled in as the head coach last night with Doc out sick, spoke postgame about GA’s responsibility as a leader of the team to continue getting his guys involved:
“All the great guys that have come through this league make the people around them great as well. [Giannis] has the ability and skillset. He’s more than capable of the mindset to be able to do that, and it’s something he has to do until we get Dame back.”
Three Spectacular Giannis Passes
Over-the-shoulder whip to TP.
Giannis tries to bait the double a little bit here which, full disclosure, I am generally not a fan of. As a rule of thumb, I prefer him to pass it quickly as soon as the double arrives. But all is well that ends well, and only someone with Antetokounmpo’s height, hand size, and wingspan could even dream of executing this pass. Goodness me.
Left-hand drop to Kuz in transition.
GA’s ability to get and go off the live-ball rebound is amazing. Here, he reads that Castleton and Edwards both go to him, meaning someone is open. He then takes one more dribble and drops it to a streaking Kuz, who makes a nice instinctual cut to the hoop with Lopez flaring to the corner.
Lefty behind-the-back drop to KPJ for the slam.
Giannis makes this look a lot easier than it is. Following the Grimes TO, KPJ pitches it to Giannis, who (at seven-feet tall) catches, dribbles, and whips it behind his back with his off hand right in Porter’s bread basket for the slam.
Bonus Bucks Bits
- The 76ers led by 14 after one, and things were looking pretty bleak. The Bucks nearly put them away multiple times throughout the game, but those same TOs and defensive breakdowns they’ve been having of late let Philly back in the game.
- Nice game from AJ Green, going 4/5 from three. They will need that going forward.
- In just over 17 minutes, KPJ was a +31. I wouldn’t take too much from that; it’s just funny to see.
- This was a funny game because, although the Bucks really needed the win, the Sixers also really needed the loss to keep their noses in front of the Brooklyn Nets in the tank wars.
- Thank goodness Quentin Grimes didn’t smoke the Bucks too badly, going 7/16 on the night.
- I was a bit flat that the coaching staff emptied the bench and put in everyone but my guy Stanley Umude, who had 31 points in the G a few days ago, I might add! Grrrr.
Up Next
The Bucks now head down to the 305 to play the Miami Heat on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Central. Catch the game on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin or stream it on our Playback and YouTube channels.
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