Kia MVP Ladder: Giannis Antetokounmpo climbing after 64-point masterpiece
Giannis Antetokounmpo scores a franchise-record 64 points on 20-for-28 shooting in the Bucks' win over the Pacers.
Setting the stage this week is Giannis Antetokounmpo, proud owner of a new Milwaukee Bucks franchise scoring record.
The 29-year-old broke the previous team mark of 57 points (Michael Redd) by lighting up Indiana on Wednesday night for a career-high 64 points in a 140-126 victory. The triumph served as payback for a loss to the Pacers six days prior in the NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals.
Interestingly, Antetokounmpo ran up the numbers without hitting a 3-pointer.
“Every point he got, he did it the right way,” Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said.
Count Antetokounmpo as the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to tally 60-plus points without draining a bucket from beyond the arc.
One stat to know: 20-20 – That’s the number of field goals and free throws Antetokounmpo hit against the Pacers. He’s the first player in NBA history to make at least 20 FGs (20-for-28) and 20 FTs (24-for-32) while connecting at a 70% clip on each.
What They’re Saying – “Anytime a great player gets in that type of flow, you’ve got to allow them to keep going, try to contribute to it, and also appreciate it,” – Bucks guard Damian Lillard
And now, the Top 5 in the 2023-24 Kia Race to the MVP Ladder.
1. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Michael C. Wright joins GameTime to explain his thinking behind the latest Kia MVP Ladder.
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Season stats: 33.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 6.4 apg
His case: The reigning Kia MVP dropped a 41-point double-double (his eighth straight) Wednesday night in logging his ninth consecutive game with 30 points or more. Embiid scored 19 of those 41 points in the opening frame and didn’t even play in the fourth quarter.
In fact, Embiid hasn’t played in the fourth quarter in four games this season. Expect much of the same Friday with a home matchup on deck against the struggling Pistons.
2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Season stats: 27.2 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 9.4 apg
His case: The two-time Kia MVP became the first player in NBA history to register at least 10 triple-doubles in seven consecutive seasons Thursday night with career triple-double No. 115. Jokic also logged his 35th career triple-double before the start of the fourth quarter.
Impressive. Concerning, however, is Denver’s 5-5 record this season when Jokic tallies a triple-double. The Nuggets owned a record of 27-2 in 2022-23 when that occurred.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
Season stats: 32.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 5.0 apg
His case: Forget a game ball. Go snatch another MVP. Antetokounmpo appears to be trending towards more hardware after blessing the home crowd Wednesday night with a record-setting gem in a 140-126 win over Indiana.
Antetokounmpo scored a franchise-record 64 points, while also setting Milwaukee records in free throws made (24) and field goal attempts (32). He racked up 26 of his 64 points in the fourth quarter in earning a two-day rest ahead of Saturday’s clash with Detroit.
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Season stats: 31.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.4 apg
His case: Gilgeous-Alexander came up short in an epic battle between point guards Thursday night but reeled off 43 points and nine assists with three steals. It marked Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth 40-point outing of the season, and he’s also scored 30-plus points in 16 games.
Behind SGA, the Thunder cling to No. 3 in the West, having won four of their last six heading into Saturday’s road matchup against the Nuggets.
5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Season stats: 32.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 9.1 apg
His case: The new father showcased some Luka magic in logging his ninth-consecutive 30-point game with a 39-point, 13-assist performance Thursday night in a loss to Minnesota. Doncic is averaging 35.1 points, 10.7 assists and 8.3 rebounds over his last nine games.
But the setback to the Timberwolves broke a four-game win streak with Dallas prepping to hit the road for matchups Saturday and Monday at Portland and Denver.
The Next Five
6. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (Last week: No. 7)
7. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers (Last week: No. 6)
8. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (Last week: unranked)
9. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (Last week: No. 10)
10. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (Last week: No. 9)
And five more (listed alphabetically): Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns; De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings; Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers; Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings; Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves.
* * *
Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
