MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo goes for 41, including a posterizing dunk, to beat Hornets
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokoumpo took over the fourth quarter Sunday, finishing with 41 points, to lead the Milwaukee Bucks over the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center, 93-85.
The Hornets played solid defense throughout Sunday, but scored just 15 fourth-quarter points on 7-of-21 shooting. This broke a two-game winning streak for the Hornets (21-39), who beat the New York Knicks at home and the defending-champion Raptors in Toronto on Friday.
Antetokounmpo also had 20 rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who have an NBA-best record of 52-8.
Devonte Graham led the Hornets in scoring with 17 points.
Good Buzz
Typically, turnover-differential is no friend of the Hornets this season. However, Sunday in the first half, the Bucks gave away the ball 12 times to the Hornets’ six. Those 12 Milwaukee turnovers led to 16 Charlotte points. The Hornets have been undeniably improved defensively the past couple of weeks, including holding the Raptors to 96 points in Friday’s victory in Toronto.
Bee Stings
Not that anyone has a solution for stopping Antetokounmpo, but that third-quarter dunk he had over Bismack Biyombo and rookie Jalen McDaniels is the sort of posterizing play that drives home the point that the Hornets need a star around which to build.
Building Blocks
Rookies Cody Martin and McDaniels were the first two players off the bench for the Hornets on Sunday, which shows how hard coach James Borrego is leaning toward the youth movement. McDaniels, drafted late in the second round in June, got out in front of the fast break for a first-quarter dunk, but he hurt his left heel on the play and left the game. McDaniels did return second half, and successfully took a charge from Antetokounmpo.
Beyond the Numbers
What to make of Hornets center Cody Zeller not playing again? Biyombo started and Willy Hernangomez got the backup minutes. Hernangomez had his second points-rebounds double-double of the season.
This was the third consecutive game Zeller was out of the rotation and fourth time in the past seven games.
Biyombo and Hernangomez are both free agents after this season, so there is some evaluation in this minutes distribution.
Borrego said before the season that contracts and salaries wouldn’t factor in his playing-time decisions. But with Nic Batum and Zeller not playing, and Malik Monk suspended, Rozier is the only big-money player on the roster in the rotation right now.
This story was originally published March 1, 2020 at 3:22 PM.
