Giannis Antetokoumpo shows off his passing skills by registering a career-high 16 assists versus San Antonio
There's no stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo these days. A few nights after demolishing the Indiana Pacers for 64 huge points and establishing the new franchise record for most career rebounds, Giannis added another personal achievement to his growing list of accomplishments. In a 132-119 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, he registered an impressive 16 assists — a new career-high for the "Greek Freak."
Triple-double treat
While Giannis was quiet on the scoring front, registering a season-low 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting, he more than made up for it in other aspects of the game. He went hard on the glass, grabbing 14 rebounds, and consistently found open teammates in the one-sided affair. He also didn't let up on defense, adding two steals and a block to his stat line. The triple-double was Antetokounmpo's 37th in his career and second this season.
One of the big stories of the game was Giannis' playmaking, as his 16 assists were the most by a Buck since Monta Ellis tallied 17 against the Atlanta Hawks on April 12, 2013.
Adept passer
Antetokounmpo wasn't known as a playmaker when he entered the league. However, he's worked hard on that aspect of his game and has averaged 5.5 assists per game over the last eight seasons. It's an underrated skill that's appreciated by his peers, notably Paul George and Tyrese Haliburton.
"Giannis is a hell of a passer," PG said on his podcast earlier this year.
Haliburton added that Giannis' variety of skills often keeps defenders guessing.
"He'll euro-step, dunk on four people," Haliburton added. "Next time you throw four people in there, he goes to dunk it; he just passes it."