Giannis Antetokounmpo often gets the label as the modern-day Shaquille O'Neal. That's why it's fitting that the Milwaukee Bucks frontman hit a playoff milestone only Shaq has reached since the turn of the millenium.
Giannis did all he could in the Bucks' 108-95 Game 6 loss against the Boston Celtics on Friday. He piled on 44 points, 20 rebounds, and six assists in the losing effort. He's the first player since Shaq all the way back in 2000 to tally a 40-20 game in the playoffs.
40/20 playoff games since 2000:
— Shaq
— Giannis pic.twitter.com/WQjq8RiGVM— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 14, 2022
The reigning NBA champion has played like one in the postseason. He's averaged 32.3 points per game and has scored 40 or more points in three of the last four contests.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has looked like the most dominant player in the playoffs and has arguably secured his place as the best player in the league right now. The Bucks star is simply the definition of a matchup nightmare, with the brute force and strength to overpower opponents like Shaq did, but also the grace and dexterity to maneuver around them for an easy score.
With the Bucks-Celtics series set to be decided by a Game 7, Milwaukee will need another Shaq-like stat line from its franchise player if they hope to advance past a rock-solid Celtics squad.
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