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Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was already a leading candidate to win his second consecutive MVP entering the NBA restart in Orlando.
The “Greek Freak” showcased why he is one of the best players in the world on Saturday against the Boston Celtics, pouring in 36 points on 14-for-20 shooting from the field and also grabbing 15 rebounds to go along with seven assists.
But Giannis also noted after the game he received constructive criticism from Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. Antetokounmpo said “Bud” was imploring him to be more active, and also credited his coach with helping him become more well-rounded (via Joe Vardon of The Athletic):
He credited coach Bud with helping realize his potential as a defender and teammate, being able to impact the game in far more ways than bum-rushing the rim. His lessons learned under Bud’s tutelage were on full display in his first game since the pandemic shut him and his league down more than four months ago.
Giannis' dominance and incredible efficiency are a marvel to behold, though at this point his productivity hardly comes as a surprise to teammates like Brook Lopez (via Vardon):
Article Continues Below“I really don’t want to normalize what he does, but that’s Giannis,” said teammate, Brook Lopez.
Antetokounmpo took matters into his own hands down the stretch.
The game was tied at 107 apiece when Giannis converted an and-one over Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who was a fraction late sliding over in an attempt to draw a charge.
Milwaukee led by just three in the final minute when Giannis again finished over Celtics big man Daniel Theis, effectively putting the bow on a tremendous performance.
Lopez and Co. have come to expect this from their star. But Antetokounmpo continues to dazzle on the hardwood, even after a long hiatus.
