Giannis reels off 40-20-5 game — in 35 minutes
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo reeled off 41 points, 20 rebounds and six assists — in just 35 minutes — in Sunday’s 93-85 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
It was the fewest minutes played in a 40-20-5 game in NBA history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous low was 36 minutes by Bob Pettit in 1959 and Elgin Baylor in 1960.
The reigning MVP became the first Bucks player with a 40-20-5 stat line since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in March 1974, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He is also only the third player over the past 30 seasons to post those numbers, joining DeMarcus Cousins (twice) and Chris Webber.
Antetokounmpo (25 years, 86 days) is the youngest player with a 40-point, 20-rebound, 5-assist game since Charles Barkley did so on Jan. 30, 1987, at 23 years, 344 days old. It was the first 40-20 game in Antetokounmpo’s career.
Antetokounmpo scored in almost every way imaginable — on pick-and-rolls, fast-break dunks, fadeaway jumpers and from the foul line.
With six minutes left and the Bucks leading by one, Antetokounmpo drove down the middle of the lane, did a spin move to shake Bismack Biyombo and dunked in between two defenders, drawing a foul for a three-point play.
And in a game that was close throughout, Milwaukee’s superstar scored the Bucks’ final seven points to put it away.
The 6-foot-11 forward hit a turnaround baseline jumper over Miles Bridges and then grabbed an offensive rebound on the next possession and was fouled, converting both free throws to push the lead to seven. Then he scored on a driving layup with 1:09 left, sending the majority of the crowd streaming to the exits.
It was the Bucks’ sixth straight win. The Hornets were able to end one Milwaukee streak, however. The last time the Bucks were held under 100 points in a win was on Feb. 21, 2019, when they beat the Boston Celtics 98-97.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.