Giannis Antetokounmpo continues his January form with a monster 54-point, 18-rebound performance in a comeback win over the Clippers.
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The LA Clippers squandered a lead as big as 21 points in the 3rd quarter. They started the game off hot, and were able to hold off most of the Bucks’ offensive schemes in the first half.
However, Giannis was one riddle that they, just like every other NBA team, were unable to solve. The Greek Freak was absolutely on point throughout the course of the night.
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Despite his 22 points in the first half – almost half of the Bucks’ total – Ty Lue elected to keep him under single coverage. As the game progressed, this seemed to look bigger and bigger as a folly.
Giannis Antetokounmpo stakes MVP claim with outrageous stats
The Clippers looked to blow the game wide open in their favor with a couple of runs early in the 3rd quarter. With 7 minutes and change left, they led the game 76-55.
However, Giannis’ primary defender Ivica Zubac was in foul trouble with 3 fouls in the first half. The Croatian endeavored to keep his place on the floor with some less risky play, but the result was Giannis getting easier hoops.
Enter the 4th quarter, and the Clippers’ humming offense essentially died on itself. They were unable to score a single point during the last 3:52 of the game.
Giannis outscored his opponents in the 4th quarter by himself as he put up 20 points in comparison to their 18. Finishing the game with 54 points to his name, Giannis became only the 3rd player with a 50/15 statline this season.
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Can Giannis win MVP honors this year?
The MVP race has been topsy-turvy for a significant part of this season. However, Nikola Jokic has maintained his lead at the top of nba.com’s official MVP ladder for over 5 weeks now.
The Serbian is averaging a triple-double: 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. He’s also making an unreal 62% of his field goal attempts this season. If he finishes with these averages and the Nuggets can maintain their #1 seeding, it’d be hard to look past him.
Joel Embiid has also climbed to #2 on the ladder. Both of these big men present the biggest challenge to Giannis on his possible pathway to a 3rd MVP trophy.
