Giannis Antetokounmpo's 33 Points Lead Bucks to Victory over Trae Young, Hawks
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a 135-127 victory over Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 33 points and 11 rebounds, his 14th consecutive double-double to start the season.
Young had 25 points and eight assists for the Hawks in a losing effort.
Notable Performances
Milwaukee
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 12/17, 33 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal
Eric Bledsoe: 8/17 (3/6 on 3PT), 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists
Brook Lopez: 3/8, 12 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two steals
Atlanta
Trae Young: 8/22 (1/5 on 3PT), 25 points, eight assists, three steals
De'Andre Hunter: 8/12 (3/3 on 3PT), 27 points, 11 rebounds
Cam Reddish: 6/10, 17 points, three rebounds
Greek Freak's Dominant Third Quarter Sparks Bucks
Atlanta was able to hang around amid a quiet start by Antetokounmpo. But once the Greek Freak came to life, so too did Milwaukee.
With 1:11 remaining in the opening quarter, Antetokounmpo did not have any official shot attempts or points in the game. As a result, the Bucks held just a one-point lead over the struggling Hawks, who entered the night having lost nine of their last 11 games.
Antetokounmpo went on to score 12 of his team's next 17 points to help open up a nine-point lead. The Bucks appeared to be in position to grab control of the game, but as the star forward checked out around the eight-minute mark, it opened the door for the Hawks to get back in.
Milwaukee went into the locker room down by three at the half. Then...Antetokounmpo put the team on his back.
The Greek Freak went off for 17 points in the third, going 7-of-9 from the field.
With that, the Bucks turned a three-point deficit into a 13-point lead in one quarter of play.
It marked just the latest impressive performance by the reigning NBA MVP, who has scored 30-plus points in eight of his last nine games. He is now averaging 30.5 points per game on the season, including 33.2 in the month of November.
Trae Young Struggles with His Shot in Loss
The Hawks used a balanced attack—four players reaching double figures in the first half—to take a lead into the break. While Antetokounmpo found a way to carry his team at times, Young was unable to do the same for Atlanta.
It was clear from the start that this was not going to be Young's night. The second-year guard shot just 1-of-6 from the floor in the first. He did, however, find a rhythm in the second, going 3-of-5 while helping the Hawks move out in front.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, he was never able to get it going in the second half.
Young made just two of his first nine shot attempts in the second half before making a pair in the closing minutes. Though he ultimately finished the game with 25 points and eight assists, the Hawks needed more consistency from their star.
Young is averaging 26.9 points per game in November, but he has now shot worse than 40 percent from the field in five of his nine outings this month. The Hawks are 0-7 this season when Young shoots 40 percent or worse and 4-2 when he eclipses that mark.
What's Next?
Milwaukee (11-3) will be back in action Thursday as it returns home to host the Portland Trail Blazers. Atlanta (4-10) will be off until Friday, when it will head to the Motor City for a clash with the Detroit Pistons.
