The Milwaukee Bucks player gave Giannis Antetokounmpo a great admiration for his special performance in the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Greek freaks shot 63% off the field while still giving 35 points, 17 rebounds and an impressive 20 assists.
He became the first player in NBA history to record 35-15-20 games, and his great night helped the Milwaukee Bucks get fifth in the Eastern standings.
Playing without Damien Lillard, the Bucks needed the best from Giannis Antetocompo. That’s exactly what they got from star players.
Pat Connaughton, who came out of the bench, said he noticed Antetokounmpo could deliver historic statistical performance midway through the fourth quarter.
Connaughton made it clear that the Bucks need the Anteto Compo they need to set up special numbers to clean up the game.
Speaking about his teammates in a post-game interview, Connaughton said:
“We want to get the game done, but to get the game done, he had to play and he did.
“The people on the bench were talking about it by the time they reached 17 or 18 assists.”
In the third consecutive season, Antetokounmpo averages over 30 points per game.
Connaughton said it was a statistical night like this that he continued to gain praise for the forward’s contributions and showed off his brilliance.
“There’s not much to say on the basketball court that Giannis has never done before. He has 35, 17 rebounds and 20 assists on the night he needs to win a road trip, then descends at crunch time at the end of the season, seed, all the games are important.
“He made it look like he always did. He always delivered for himself, for his teammates, for the city of Milwaukee.
“It almost seems like this is one of only one insanity, but it seems ridiculous. The statistical night type speaks volumes about the type of player he is on this team and who he is.
“I mean it’s the best performance ever. It’s an attractive player,” Connaughton added.
Lillard came out and Antetokounmpo had to adapt to a new role in ball handling than before.
His performance against the Philadelphia 76ers showed he could succeed in the role.
Speaking about his additional responsibility, Antetokounmpo said, “I love working with the ball. I love playing ball too, but I’ve started to continue making good decisions for the team, like you’re a primary ball handler.
“Most of the time I try to make the best decision for myself or my teammates.
He averages over 10 assists in his final four games and also has his second best year in terms of assists.
Antetokounmpo is known for his scores, but he has improved significantly as a ball handler, which is incredible for the Bucks towards the playoffs.