After blowing a 21-point lead over the final 3:06 of the fourth quarter, the Milwaukee Bucks escaped with a 104-101 win over the Raptors on Wednesday. It wasn't the prettiest of performances, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, yet again, put up a monster line: 30 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists.
In case tracking Antetokounmpo's box scores hasn't been high on your priority list of late, have a look at his previous three outings leading into Wednesday:
- vs. Wizards: 55 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists
- vs. Timberwolves: 43 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists
- at Bulls: 45 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists
Throw in a positively pedestrian 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists on Christmas, and that's 203 points, 94 rebounds and 39 assists for Antetokounmpo over his last five games. Those numbers haven't been reached over any five-game stretch since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it a half century ago.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first player to total 200+ PTS, 80+ REB, and 30+ AST over a 5-game span since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972. pic.twitter.com/jy1pyOHfQm
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 5, 2023
Since we're talking numbers, I'd be remiss not to note that Antetokounmpo actually recorded a rather dubious quadruple-double on Wednesday, adding 12 turnovers to his ledger. Per Stathead, only three players in NBA history have committed more turnovers in a single game: Jason Kidd (14), John Drew (14) and Chris Mullin (13).
It's a fitting segue into what was nearly an epic collapse by the Bucks, who, over the aforementioned final three minutes of the fourth quarter, coughed up five turnovers (including a five-second violation), gave up four offensive rebounds, committed a flagrant foul and missed three free throws. That's how a 90-60 advantage turns into a 97-97 tie heading into overtime.
But, as they say, all's well that ends well, and Grayson Allen, after an outrageous pass from Antetokounmpo, sent Milwaukee home on a high note with what proved to be the game-winning 3-pointer with under 11 seconds to play in overtime.
GRAYSON ALLEN PUTS THE BUCKS UP BY 3 WITH 0:10 REMAINING 😱
— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2023
FINAL SECONDS LIVE ON ESPN pic.twitter.com/yZxLiO2aqx
It warrants repeating: That pass, Antetokounmpo's 10th assist of the night, was incredible. Giannis looked out of control, which he often does, and he sort of was, which he often is, but he gathered all his coordination as he was falling out of bounds to deliver the sort of backhanded wrap-around bullet pass, dead into Allen's shooting pocket, that only a handful of people on earth can pull off.
That's special stuff. And it got the Bucks a victory that they should've secured about a half hour earlier.
