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Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo streak of double-doubles to start the season came to an end in their lopsided victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
With the game way out of reach but Antetokounmpo needing just one more rebound to complete his double-double, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer opted to sit his superstar forward for the entire fourth quarter.
Budenholzer said after the game that he should have kept Giannis in to grab the one board. However, that’s the cost it will have to take for Milwaukee to keep the reigning MVP fresh throughout the 82-game grind and, eventually, the postseason.
Antetokounmpo finished his night with 26 points, nine rebounds, and four assists on 11-of-16 shooting. He did all of that damage in just 20 minutes of action.
Giannis apparently did not have a clue that he needed just one rebound to keep his streak of 19 straight double-doubles going. He, likewise, doesn’t really care either.
Antetokounmpo is following up his 2018-19 MVP season with yet another MVP-worthy campaign in 2019-20. Through 20 games so far, he is putting up nightly numbers of 30.9 points, 13.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks.
He is also shooting a lot more threes now. While his efficiency from that distance still needs some work (shooting just 28.6 percent), the fact that he is taking them makes his offense much deadlier than it has in the past.
Antetokounmpo is on a mission to capture his first NBA championship this season. The Bucks will do everything they can to keep him healthy for their eventual postseason push in April.