Giannis can’t miss in Bucks’ dominant win over Wizards
Welcome to the 2018-19 edition of the Young Bucks Tracker. Each Thursday we'll either track the progress of the players who might be of help to the Bucks in the future from the Wisconsin Herd or a current member of the Milwaukee roster. We'll also give updates on the other young players from the previous week.
This is the 14th edition of the 2018-19 Young Bucks Tracker.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo
"Giannis went off" is not a headline three seasons into his run as one of the league's brightest young superstars.
He went off in a 16-point win over the Wizards on Saturday, scoring 37 points on 10-of-20 shooting with 10 rebounds.
He went off in a 19-point win over the Nets on Monday, scoring 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting with 15 rebounds and nine assists.
Giannis will do that.
That said, his performance on Wednesday -- they victimized hapless Washington once again -- in the Bucks' 40th win of the season, is in a class by itself.
Giannis, whose suspect shooting is sometimes a cause for some concern, couldn’t miss against the Wizards, dropping 41 points on a wild 81 percent shooting, while going 3-for-3 from deep.
He's the first NBA player to post a field-goal percentage of 80 or better on 21-plus shots since Samuel Dalembert did it during his 47-game tenure with the Bucks in 2013.
That the Wizards are a 22-32 nightmare franchise whose All-Star point guard is now recovering from two debilitating injuries to the same foot is sort of immaterial in the face of such production.
It was too much for Washington, which was outscored 50-35 in the first quarter, the first time in five seasons that anyone but the Warriors has done that much damage in one quarter.
BUCKSHOTS
-- It was a big game for a few people, including Malcolm Brogdon, who shot 50 percent from the field and went 3-for-4 from deep en route to 18 points.
-- Ersan Ilyasova, a target of some trade speculation, made every shot he took, going 4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 from deep and 2-for-2 from the foul line.
-- The Wisconsin Herd's Bonzie Colson, currently on a two-way deal with the Bucks, has 28 points in two of the Herd's last three games.
-- Rookie Donte DiVincenzo remained out Wednesday as he recovers from a heel injury.
