Milwaukee Bucks superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is continuing to make his case for the 2023-2024 NBA MVP Award. He scored 32 points in a 133-129 win in overtime over the Chicago Bulls. The Bucks improve to 16-7 on the year and the Bulls drop to 9-15 on the season. Milwaukee is tied for the second spot in the Eastern Conference with the Orlando Magic.
With Antetokounmpo scoring 32 points in the game, this is the fourth consecutive game that he has scored 30 or more points in a single basketball game. There is a reason why he is fourth in the NBA this season in points per game at 32.2 PPG. Giannis Antetokounmpo shot 69.2% from the field and also shot 77.8% from the free throw line (14-of-18).
He also grabbed 12 rebounds, recorded six assists, and recorded two steals in the game. Antetokounmpo is going to be in the MVP race with players like Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo told Matthew Dugandzic of Sports Illustrated after the game about his performance on Monday night against the Chicago Bulls by saying:
“They were double-teaming, guys were open. In the pick and roll, they were showing hard, guys were slipping, they were open again. When I got the ball in the pocket, they were coming and swarming, Brook (Lopez) was open, guys in the corner were open. I would just try to make the right play, and there’s going to be games, and there’s going to be teams around the league that I’m going to draw so much attention.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks Will Be in the MVP Conversation All Season Long
Antetokounmpo will be in the MVP conversation all season long for the Bucks, but Embiid has a shot to win it for the second consecutive year. He is first in the NBA this season in PPG at averaging 33.4 PPG. Joel Embiid has been carrying the Philadelphia 76ers this season. If Embiid doesn’t win the MVP Award, it is very possible Giannis Antetokounmpo will win it for the third time in his career.
Milwaukee is on track to win over 50 games once again this season and be a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo is one of the most dominant players on the court on a night-to-night basis. If he keeps scoring over 30 points a game and also grabs more than 10 rebounds per game, it will be hard to keep out of the NBA MVP conversation.
