Top 5 Highest Scoring Games of Giannis Antetokounmpo's career
Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently one of the hottest names in the NBA. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Since his rookie season, he has been improving tremendously and he took home the Most Improved Player award in 2017 after averaging 22.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.9 blocks per game.
He also led the Bucks in all five statistical categories that season and became the first player in NBA history to finish top 20 in all five of them. The 2-time NBA All-Star is carrying the Bucks on his shoulder and the team's success is heavily dependent on Giannis' all-round ability to impact the game.
Giannis started the NBA 2018-19 season in a scintillating fashion and has three 30-points game already, early in the season. In this article, let us take a look at top five highest-scoring games of Giannis Antetokounmpo's NBA career.
5. 40 at Boston Celtics, December 4, 2017
Stat line: 40 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists on 58.3% shooting
After defeating the Sacramento Kings at home, on the back of a strong performance from the 'Greek Freak' who scored 33 points, the Bucks were on road for a game against the Boston Celtics. The Celtics started the season red-hot and were boasting a win-loss record of 20-4 before the game.
Giannis started the proceedings with a thunderous slam on a fast break that got the TD Garden crowd worked up. That was not his only dunk because in the third quarter, with Boston up by 19 points and 7:55 remaining, he dunked one over Aron Baynes.
He finished the game with 40 points on 14-of-24 shooting, to go along with 9 rebound and 4 assists. For the Celtics, Al Harford and Kyrie Irving combined for 52 points on 21-of-34 shooting and the hosts cruised to a 111-110 victory.
4. 40 at Cleveland Cavaliers, November 7, 2017
Stat line: 40 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks on 76.2% shooting
The Milwaukee Bucks started the season well with 4-2 win-loss record but 3-straight loses saw them drop to 4-5. Their recent loss was against the Detroit Pistons in which Giannis scored 29 points. After a four-day rest, the Bucks were in Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers.
Giannis dominated on both ends of the floor and finished the night shooting a ridiculous 16-21 from the field, with a field-goal percentage of 76.2. He was equally dominant on the defensive end too as he had three huge blocks on the night and protected the rim.
He had a dunk fest and finished the game with 40-points and 9 rebounds. For the Cavaliers, LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 62 points on 19-of-34 shooting and the hosts successfully saved the home court. With this loss, the Bucks have lost four straight games.
3. 41 vs Los Angeles Lakers, February 10, 2017
Stat line: 41 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals on 55.5% shooting
Giannis had 22 points in the game against Miami Heat, two nights before, and was -18 on the night. He was also responsible for four turnovers. Two nights later, Giannis went off for 41 points against the Los Angeles Lakers at home but the Lakers held on to the win.
The 'Greek Freak' was at his usual best and lived in the paint to dismantle the Lakers' defense. He went 11-of-20 from the field, to go along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Apart from Giannis, no one from the starting line up scored in double-digits and that made a huge impact on the result.
For the Lakers, Nick Young scored 26 points on incredible 8-of-11 shooting and was +13. D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle too showed up and combined for 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting and the Lakers won this game, 122-114.
2. 41 vs Brooklyn Nets, January 26, 2018
After beating the Phoenix Suns at home in a blow-out fashion, the Bucks got a four-day rest and were up against the Brooklyn Nets at home. The Nets were with an 18-30 win-loss record and were coming off a one-point loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored his then career-high 41 points at home and helped the Bucks down the Nets. He went 14-20 from the field and finished the night on a 70.0 percent shooting. He was also very efficient from the three-point line and went 3-of-3 from downtown. He dominated the Nets' defenders and went 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.
For the Nets, DeMarre Carroll was the high-scorer with 14 points but Antetokounmpo was just way too much for the Nets as they got blown out, 116-91.
1. 44 vs Portland Trail Blazers, October 21, 2017
Stat line: 44 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals on 73.9% shooting
The Bucks were on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. They hosted the Portland Trail Blazers at home and Giannis Antetokounmpo's exploded for career-high 44 points to help the Bucks defeat the Blazers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated in the paint and the Blazers' defenders had no answer as he kept bullying them to score easy points. He finished the night shooting 17-of-23 from the field, with an eye-catching field-goal percentage of 73.9.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was also very efficient from the free-throw line and used his height and size to finish with 9-of-13 from the charity stripe. For the Blazers, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 52 points on 15-of-33 shooting and the Bucks were up by just 4 points at home after the end of three quarters.
With the Bucks up 111-110 and 3.5 seconds remaining, Giannis came up with a game-saving block on Nurkic. The home team went on to win this game, 113-110.