StaTuesday: Giannis in good company with Bucks' 40-point scorers
Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out two games last week to rest his sore knee and then of course scored 41 points in just under 33 minutes in his return to the Milwaukee Bucks in a win over Brooklyn.
That marked the fourth time Antetokounmpo has reached 40 points in a single game this season -- he had 44 vs. Portland and 40 at both Cleveland and Boston.
Only one player in the NBA this season has more 40-point games than Antetokounmpo -- Houston's James Harden has six. Amazingly, the Clippers' Lou Williams also has four.
When it comes to Milwaukee franchise history, how rare is it that a Bucks player has four 40-point games? As one might expect, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar accomplished the feat in five different seasons (varying from seven times to 19, the latter tied for the eighth most in a season in NBA history).
The only other player to have four 40-point games in a season in Bucks history is Flynn Robinson, with four, in 1968-69.
Antetokounmpo is the first Buck to have three 40-point games since Michael Redd in 2006-07. Overall, six players in Milwaukee history have had three 40-point outings in a season and it's been done 12 times overall.
PLAYER | SEASON | NO. |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1971-72 | 19 |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1970-71 | 10 |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1969-70 | 9 |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1972-73 | 7 |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1974-75 | 7 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2017-18 | 4 |
Flynn Robinson | 1968-69 | 4 |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1973-74 | 3 |
Ray Allen | 2000-01 | 3 |
Michael Redd | 2006-07 | 3 |
Michael Redd | 2005-06 | 3 |
Glenn Robinson | 1996-97 | 3 |
Khris Middleton | 2017-18 | 2 |
Michael Redd | 2003-04 | 2 |
Michael Redd | 2007-08 | 2 |
Flynn Robinson | 1969-70 | 2 |
Brian Winters | 1981-82 | 2 |
Antetokounmpo owns one other 40-point game with the Bucks -- 41 against the Lakers last season -- meaning he's already tied for fourth-most in team history. He's got a long way to go to No. 1, but he certainly No. 3 is more than within reach this season and No. 2, well, it likely won't take too long to pass that as well.
PLAYER | NO. |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 55 |
Michael Redd | 11 |
Flynn Robinson | 6 |
Ray Allen | 5 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | 5 |
Glenn Robinson | 5 |
Brian Winters | 3 |
Marques Johnson | 2 |
Khris Middleton | 2 |
Sidney Moncrief | 2 |
Vin Baker | 1 |
Junior Bridgeman | 1 |
Quinn Buckner | 1 |
Sam Cassell | 1 |
Bob Dandridge | 1 |
Brandon Jennings | 1 |
Ricky Pierce | 1 |
Jim Price | 1 |
Ramon Sessions | 1 |