“Keep moving forward”: Giannis Antetokounmpo is amped after livewire trio combines for 101 to go 3-0 up
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is pumped up after securing their third straight victory to stay unscathed in the NBA In-Season Tournament on Friday. They defeated the Washington Wizards, 131-128, with three Bucks players scoring at least 30 points each.
Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Damian Lillard combined for 101 points of the team’s total to stay on top of East Group B of the In-Season Tournament at 3-0, fortifying their push for an outright spot in the next round.
Lopez top-scored with 39 points, going 14-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also added seven rebounds and three blocks. Antetokounmpo and Lillard had 31 points each.
Notably, it marked the first time in Bucks history that three players scored 30-plus points in the same game.
Following their historic win, the "Greek Freak" took to X, formerly Twitter, to express his excitement while also underscoring the need for them to keep moving forward as things could only get tougher.
He said:
“They are going to keep coming for us. We just got to keep moving forward.”
The Bucks have a chance to complete a sweep of their NBA In-Season Tournament assignments on Tuesday against the Miami Heat (2-1), one of the teams in hot pursuit of them, along with the New York Knicks (2-1).
The NBA In-Season Tournament is being implemented for the first time this season to add dimension to the league year. The tournament has a similar format to that of in-season European soccer tournaments and the WNBA Commissioner's Cup. All 30 NBA teams are competing in games set from Nov. 3 to Dec. 9.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is going great guns in NBA In-Season Tournament
The Milwaukee Bucks are among the flourishing teams in the ongoing NBA In-Season Tournament, partly because of the solid play of their two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Following their 131-128 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday at home, the Bucks raced to a 3-0 record in the “tournament within a tournament,” on top of East Group B.
In the three In-Season Tournament games they have played, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been steady for 23 points, 8.3 rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes.
Apart from him, also coming up big in the tournament for the team are Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez, helping Milwaukee stay as one of the undefeated teams so far in In-Season play, along with the Los Angeles Lakers (West Group A), Sacramento Kings (West Group C) and Indiana Pacers (East Group A).
More telling for the Bucks (11-5), Giannis Antetokounmpo is actually solid not only in the In-Season Tournament but for the ongoing NBA season as well. Posting averages of 29.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 33 minutes for the Central Division-leading squad.