“Giannis Antetokounmpo ties otherworldly Wilt Chamberlain record”: Bucks MVP shoots 18-18 from 2-point range in blowout win against Damian Lillard’s Blazers

Giannis Antetokounmpo goes 18-18 from within the arc and ties Wilt Chamberlain’s record, in the Bucks win over the Portland Trail Blazers. 

The Portland Trail Blazers continue to prove to the league why they have been the 30th ranked defense in the NBA in the past 15 games. In last night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, no player was a match for Giannis Antetokounmpo and his game within the arc. Not to mention the Bucks have a near unstoppable transition game while the Blazers are horrendous in guarding transition buckets. 

Giannis absolutely feasted down-low on and in transition on any defender the Blazers threw at him. Derrick Jones Jr is perhaps Portland’s best on-ball defender as Robert Covington is more of an off-ball threat, and he had no answer for the Greek Freak. So much so that Giannis finished the game off with 47 points and 12 rebounds, en route to a 127-109 win over the Blazers. 

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Dropping 47 points is a remarkable feat, in and of itself. However, the manner in which Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a near 50-bomb is what’s to be noted. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t miss from 2-point land in the Bucks’ win over Blazers

Serving as a symbol for efficiency, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 18 straight buckets from within the arc last night. He went 18-18 from 2-point range, tying Wilt Chamberlain’s record of the same. Wilt has had this record since 1967, in a game against the Baltimore Bullets. 

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Despite winning the previous two MVPs, Giannis has effectively placed himself in the MVP conversation. The Bucks are a top 3 seed out East and is putting up his usual MVP caliber averages. The only thing that stands in the All Star Game MVP’s way is factoring that aren’t limited to on-court play. 

The only players to have ever won 3 straight MVPs are Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell, all of who won a championship in either of their first two MVP seasons in that stretch.

If Giannis were to bag his third MVP, he might be the only player in history to do so and not win a championship. This is something that most certainly will not sit well with voters and due to voter fatigue, will look to pass the crown off to someone else.