Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo notches first career 40-point triple-double, continuing MVP-caliber season

MILWAUKEE — There aren’t many firsts left for Giannis Antetokounmpo at this point of his career, but he found another one to cross off the list on Saturday night in the Milwaukee Bucks‘ 124-114 win over the Washington Wizards when he recorded the first 40-point triple-double of his career. 

A press-row discussion of Antetokounmpo’s impending feat nearly jinxed him, as he missed three consecutive free throws in the final minutes while stuck on 39 points, but he finally got one to go with 1:18 remaining. He finished with 42 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists on 15 of 24 from the field and 12 of 17 from the line. 

This was the third triple-double of the season for Antetokounmpo, who is making an undeniable case for his third MVP award. He’s now recorded four 40-point games and is leading the league in scoring at 32.9 points per game, which would be a career-high. That’s in addition to 11.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per night, the latter of which would also be a career-best. 

“I haven’t been here long enough, but this is the best stretch by far with me because it’s not just scoring, it’s everything,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s blocking shots, he’s rebounding the ball, he’s passing the ball, he’s starting the break. Him and [Damian Lillard], their two-man game has been fantastic. He’s just doing a lot of stuff for us, and he’s doing it in the flow, it doesn’t look forced. It’s coming right in the flow, and it’s great.”

Antetokounmpo said it was up to Rivers and the media to debate whether this is the best he’s played under his current coach. He did, however, comment on the fact that he tied Michael Jordan on the all-time 35-point triple-doubles list with eight. 

“It’s a great compliment, but you just gotta keep going, gotta keep playing,” Antetokounmpo said. “I try not to pay attention to that. When I’m 40 somewhere in Hawaii or in the Caribbean and drinking a piña colada and arguing with my wife about how badass I was when I used to play, maybe I can say, ‘Yeah, me and Michael Jordan did that,’ put myself in the same sentence. But right now I try to stay locked in and focus on the next one against Detroit.”

The Bucks will have a few days off before traveling to the Motor City to take on the Pistons in an NBA Cup game on Tuesday night. That game will decide who wins Group B in the Eastern Conference and books a spot in the knockout round. 

As much as the Bucks would enjoy that accomplishment, the bigger one has been getting their season back on track. With the victory over the Wizards, they extended their winning streak to six games and are now 7-1 in their last eight outings. Thanks to this hot streak, they are back above .500 at 10-9 and up to sixth place in the East.

Their disastrous 2-8 start is now officially a thing of the past, and talk of blockbuster trades has been replaced with how high they can climb in the standings.   

“We know how to win games,” Antetokounmpo said. “If it was the third game, fourth game of the season, we probably would have lost that game, but now we know that no matter if it looks pretty, if we’re playing well, we gotta figure out ways to win the game. It doesn’t matter, just win the game.”