Bucks Zone

Held down to just seven points, Giannis Antetokounmpo still did a lot of damage in win over the Atlanta Hawks

There's more to Giannis' game than just scoring.

Matthew Dugandzic

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Giannis Antetokounmpo, the star of the Milwaukee Bucks, has proven time and time again that he is an all-around player. He can score, rebound, pass, and play defense at a high level. Even when his scoring numbers don't jump off the page, he still manages to impact the game in a significant way, which is what he did in their 114-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Single-digit scoring

It may be hard to fathom, but Antetokounmpo has hit a rough patch scoring-wise over his last three games. After being held down to just nine in a lopsided loss to the Charlotte Hornets, he sort of bounced back by scoring 22 points, albeit on 6-of-15 shooting against the New York Knicks. On Wednesday, Antetokounmpo scored a season-low seven points, missing all but three of his 10 shots from the field as the Hawks successfully walled off the paint.

Impact beyond the scoring column

It's easy to take Giannis' single-digit scoring output as a sign of his struggles, but there is much more to it than that. Despite not finding the bottom of the net often, Antetokounmpo impacted the game in other ways and contributed to Milwaukee's victory with his 18 rebounds and 10 assists, most of which resulted in open three-pointers for his teammates.

"I think he got us going in the beginning of the game where we had three after three, he was driving, getting into the paint, drawing five, kicking out and we were knocking them in, finally," Jrue Holiday said. "So, I think when he does that, mixed with him getting to the basket, getting to the free throw line, he's virtually unstoppable."

Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer also agreed, saying Antetokounmpo's performance was one his best, even without putting the ball in the basket.

"I thought it was one of Giannis' best games without scoring," Budenholzer said. "I thought he trusted his teammates. He made a ton of great plays."

One of those plays allowed the Bucks to put the game away for good. Up by just five with a little over a minute remaining, Antetokounmpo grabbed an offensive rebound and found an open Jevon Carter, who canned a triple to give Milwaukee a 111-103 lead.

This is just another example of why Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the world. He may not always show up in the scoring column, but he will still do whatever it takes to help his team win.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.