Bucks' Giannis scores 59 vs. Pistons, fights back tears amid MVP chants
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the lone consistent bright spot for the Milwaukee Bucks amid their challenging start to the 2024-25 season. And on Wednesday night, Antetokounmpo took it upon himself to bring the Bucks all the way back from an 18-point deficit against the Detroit Pistons. He scored 59 points to lead the way for Milwaukee in a 127-120 escape act victory in overtime.
Antetokounmpo was his usual forceful self at the rim, as he attacked the likes of Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Tobias Harris with reckless abandon. But the Bucks star's midrange jumpshot was also on point, and to top it all off, he missed just one free throw on the night, and on 17 attempts, no less.
Ever beloved figure among Bucks fans, Antetokounmpo was greeted by well-deserved MVP chants following his best performance of the season thus far, and you can clearly see how much this adoration from the fans meant to him.
There might not be a better time for Antetokounmpo to receive the love from Bucks fans. Amid their uneven start to the season, rumors regarding a potential trade have already been swirling, as there is an expectation that Antetokounmpo might end up requesting a trade should the Bucks continue in their struggles.
While the Bucks aren't out of the woods quite yet, they have now won two games in a row, although they did need Pistons rookie Ron Holland II to bail them out of what would have been another demoralizing defeat.
Getting these two wins is no mean feat for a decimated Bucks team; not only was Damian Lillard missing as he continues to recover from being placed on the concussion protocol, Bobby Portis was also absent due to an elbow injury. Making matters worse for Milwaukee, the man who replaced Lillard in the starting lineup on Tuesday night, Ryan Rollins, was also absent after suffering a shoulder injury in their win over the Toronto Raptors.
This put quite the heavy burden on Antetokounmpo's shoulders on Wednesday night, and as was evident in his 59-point outburst, he is more than capable of lifting the Bucks as they buy time for their injured players to recover.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is still the league's premier unstoppable force
Once upon a time, Giannis Antetokounmpo was called out for lacking "skill" and that he was just running and dunking. But how can the Bucks star remain this unstoppable when teams should already know what he's about to do on the hardwood?
Standing at 6'11", Antetokounmpo's coordination, balance, strength, and tenacity is one of a kind. When combined with his ballhandling, relentlessness, and unselfishness, the Bucks star is the most unstoppable player in the NBA when he has it going. As though he wasn't already difficult to defend, when he has the perimeter shot going — which he did in their win over the Pistons.
The Bucks will now have to try their best in optimizing the team around Antetokounmpo. He shouldn't have to go off every night just for the Bucks to have a shot at winning. But for now, everyone should just enjoy the ride.
