Giannis Antetokounmpo played a season-high 42 minutes, scored a season-tying 45 points, and grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds in the Bucks 119-113 OT loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
As much as Bucks fans want to laud this historic 45-22 double-double by Giannis, a disturbing trend is developing that is becoming all too frequent in Bucks’ games: Giannis scores 40 and the Bucks lose.
Bucks lose three times in December when Giannis gets 40 points
For the third time this month, the Bucks were beaten in a game where Giannis scored 40 or more points. It happened back on December 2 against the Lakers when he had 40 points in a four-point loss at home; and it happened in Cleveland when the Bucks lost by eight despite Giannis pouring in 45 points. The third time this month was just last night in Chicago.
The Bucks have now lost three of the last four games when Giannis scores 40 or more points in a game.
Bucks 3-3 this season when Giannis tallies 40 points
Giannis has six 40-point games this season, but the Bucks are only 3-3 in those games. In fact, Giannis is tied for second in the league this year with six 40-point games (behind Luka Doncic who has seven), but The Greek Freak is the only player this season whose team has lost three games when he tallies 40 or more points.
With this latest performance of 40 or more points in a loss, Giannis has passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most career games with the Bucks where the team has lost when he scores 40+ points. The Bucks have now lost 13 games in the Giannis era when he scores 40+ points. Here are the six Bucks players with the most games lost by the Bucks when they scored 40+ points.
Giannis passes Kareem in this Bucks’ statistic
13-Giannis Antetokounmpo
12-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6-Michael Redd
3-Flynn Robinson
2-Glenn Robinson
2-Ray Allen
Milwaukee has a 22-13 (.629 winning percentage) record in games when Giannis scores 40 or more in a game. The Bucks were 43-12 in games when Jabbar tallied 40+ points, a .782 winning percentage).
Wilt Chamberlain has the most career losses by his team in games where he scored 40 or more points with 107. Five players saw their teams lose 30 or more career games when they scored 40+ points. The five:
107-Wilt Chamberlain
52-Michael Jordan
40-Kobe Bryant
31-Elgin Baylor
30-Oscar Robertson
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @Statsontapp and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content.
