<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/ranking-giannis-antetokounmpos-10-greatest-accomplishments-of-his-career');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10 greatest accomplishments of his career');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ranking-Giannis-Antetokounmpos-10-greatest-accomplishments-of-his-career.jpg"></figure><h1>Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10 greatest accomplishments of his career</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T08:49:41-08:00">December 24th, 8:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T08:49:41-08:00">December 24th, 8:49am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/spencersee10" rel="facebook">Spencer See</a>Spencer See is a part-time writer at ClutchPoints focusing on the NBA, evergreen content and celebrity lifestyle. He is also a lifelong fan of LeBron James. In his free time, he either goes fishing or watches basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo has carved out an inspiring basketball career. From dealing with the challenges back in Greece with his family to becoming a superstar in the NBA, it has been a journey for the Greek Freak. With the Milwaukee <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-fans-go-wild-milwaukee-nba-cup-dominance-vs-thunder">Bucks conquering the NBA Cup</a> this year, let’s rank Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10 greatest accomplishments of his career.</p><p>Check out the gallery.</p><h2><b>1. 2021 NBA Champion and Finals MVP</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-celebrates-with-the-NBA-FInals-MVP-trophy.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Greek Freak pretty much cemented his legacy after leading the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-magic-johnson-reveals-4-key-factors-in-giannis-antetokounmpo-milwaukee-nba-finals-win">Bucks to an NBA title in 2021</a>. It was the franchise’s first championship in five decades. Moreover, Antetokounmpo took care of business in historic fashion.</p><p>The Greek Freak <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/202107200MIL.html" rel="noopener">finished with 50 points and 14 rebounds</a> in the championship clincher to put away the Phoenix Suns for good, capped off by a clutch alley-oop dunk.</p><h2><b>2. Back-to-back NBA MVPs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-shows-off-his-NBA-MVP-trophy.jpg"><figcaption>Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC</figcaption></figure><p>It wasn’t long ago when Antetokounmpo established himself as an elite player in the league when he conquered his first NBA MVP back in 2019. The Bucks star averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting nearly 58% from the field overall.</p><p>Shortly after, Antetokounmpo wasn’t done, as he conquered his second-straight NBA MVP. He posted an improved 29.5 points and 13.6 rebounds to go along with 5.6 dimes per game.</p><h2><b>3. 2024 NBA Cup Champion and MVP</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-poses-with-the-NBA-Cup-trophies.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Just recently, Antetokounmpo added more hardware to his already decorated NBA career. The Greek Freak helped the Bucks become the 2024 NBA Cup champions during the tournament’s second edition.</p><p>In the In-Season Tournament, Giannis averaged 30.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, including a 26-19 double-double performance in the championship clincher against the Oklahoma City Thunder. For his efforts, it was only fitting that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-makes-promise-nba-cup">Antetokounmpo was crowned NBA Cup MVP</a>.</p><h2><b>4. 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-in-a-defensive-stance.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Although Antetokounmpo is a force to be reckoned with offensively, the Greek Freak is also a menace on the defensive end. He cemented that during the 2019-20 season. Aside from winning his second-straight NBA MVP that year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-reacts-winning-defensive-player-of-the-year">Antetokounmpo was also crowned the NBA Defensive Player of the Year</a>.</p><p>Defensively, Giannis put up 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game. Furthermore, he also led the league in defensive rating. As a result, Antetokounmpo is only one of three players to win NBA MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year. The only other two players in that list are Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.</p><h2><b>5. Bucks all-time leader in points, assists, rebounds, and blocks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-pushes-the-tempo.jpg"><figcaption>Michael McLoone-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Bucks franchise saw many players dawn their uniform. Some of the notable greats include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ray Allen, and Oscar Robertson. But fast-forward to today, Milwaukee now enjoys the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo.</p><p>The two-time NBA MVP even surpassed the previous franchise greats in terms of points, assists, rebounds, and blocks in a Bucks jersey. Giannis has totaled 6,498 points, 7,996 rebounds, 3,996 assists, and 1,022 blocks.</p><h2><b>6. 2017 NBA Most Improved Player</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-makes-a-reaction.jpg"><figcaption>Mark D. Smith-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Antetokounmpo came into the NBA as a scrawny kid from Greece. While he was just a raw prospect then, the Bucks patiently waited for him to develop into an MVP-caliber star. The Greek Freak certainly made the Bucks’ wait worth it, marking his breakout season in 2016-2017. During that season, Antetokounmpo averaged 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.</p><h2><b>7. 64-point performance vs. Indiana Pacers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-dunks-the-ball.jpg"><figcaption>Benny Sieu-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If you’re wondering what’s Antetokounmpo’s highest scoring game, the answer was set just last season. Although there was a <a href="https://www.espn.ph/nba/story/_/id/39109606/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-torches-pacers-career-best-64-points" rel="noopener">scuffle for the game ball</a> that marred his brilliance, no one can take away the fact that the Greek Freak exploded for a career-high 64 points in the 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>He shot 20-of-28 from the field overall and added 14 rebounds to his name. His 64-point performance was also a Bucks franchise record, surpassing his previous record of 59.</p><h2><b>8. Eight All-NBA Team selections and All-Star appearances</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-poses-with-the-All-Star-Game-MVP-trophy.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Since his breakout season, Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of the premier power forwards of the game. As a result, it isn’t a surprising that he has been a shoo-in in the past eight All-NBA Team selections. In addition to this, the Greek Freak is also a fixture during the NBA All-Star Game, having appeared in the festivities for the past eight editions.</p><h2><b>9. 2024 FIBA OQT MVP and Olympic flag bearer</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-poses-with-the-flag-of-Greece.jpg"><figcaption>Andrew Nelles-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In 2024, Antetokounmpo answered the call of national team duty. With the 2024 FIBA OQT held in Greece, the Greek Freak didn’t disappoint on his home turf. At the FIBA OQT, Giannis averaged 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game to be crowned the Tissot MVP.</p><p>But more importantly, his efforts paved the way for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/olympics-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-strong-message-greece-paris-ticket">Greece to punch a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics</a>. As a result, Antetokounmpo was named as the country’s flag bearer before making his Olympics debut.</p><h2><b>10. 2022 FIBA EuroBasket Top Scorer </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-in-action-for-Greece.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Two years after winning his second NBA MVP, it was only about time the European basketball scene felt the impact of Giannis Antetokounmpo.</p><p>At the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket, the Greek Freak dominated the tournament with a scoring average of 29.3 points per game, which is the highest among players in the competition. He also added 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Greece finished fifth.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10 greatest accomplishments of his career

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-giannis-shai-gilgeous-alexander-nba-cup-tighten-race');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA MVP Mondays: Giannis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander use NBA Cup to tighten race');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NBA-MVP-Mondays-Giannis-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-use-NBA-Cup-to-tighten-race.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA MVP Mondays: Giannis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander use NBA Cup to tighten race</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T15:00:53-08:00">December 23rd, 3:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T15:10:23-08:00">December 23rd, 3:10pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the NBA Cup wrapping up last week in Las Vegas, there were no NBA MVP rankings. Now that an in-season tournament champion has been named, this MVP race is suddenly closer than it was when December began. This has been Nikola Jokic’s race to lose for quite some time, but what Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have accomplished, especially regarding their NBA Cup championship game, can’t be overlooked.</p><p>It was Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks who handled Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the 2024 NBA Cup. Although the stats don’t officially count, which is the dumbest thing, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-makes-promise-nba-cup">Antetokounmpo put together one of his best performances of the season</a> while claiming the NBA Cup for the Bucks.</p><p>In this game, the two-time MVP recorded 26 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks, and two steals in 37 minutes while shooting 10-of-19 from the floor. He was aggressive when he needed to be, and Giannis looked like the best player in the league against the Thunder, who some would argue are the best team in the NBA right now. This performance surely turned many people’s heads regarding the NBA MVP race, and even Tim Bontemps of ESPN can attest to this with <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/43060049/nba-mvp-straw-poll-where-jokic-giannis-sga-more-stars-rank" rel="noopener">his latest MVP straw poll.</a></p><p>Even with Antetokounmpo stealing the spotlight during the NBA Cup, Gilgeous-Alexander’s accomplishments during this tournament have also increased his positioning in the MVP race. Although he struggled to shoot against the Bucks, as did everyone on the Thunder, SGA recorded a 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist performance against the Houston Rockets in the NBA Cup semifinals. Leading Oklahoma City to the championship game is a major accomplishment for the 26-year-old.</p><p>While Jokic still appears to hold the upper hand, Giannis and SGA are making this NBA MVP race very interesting as we prepare for the calendar to flip over to 2025.</p><p><i><b>Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-luka-doncic-rejoins-top-5-nikola-jokic-insane-numbers">Week 7</a> | <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-nikola-jokic-leads-giannis-antetokounmpo-jayson-tatum">Week 6</a> | <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-giannis-antetokounmpo-charges-back-into-race">Week 5</a> | <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-nikola-jokic-overtakes-jayson-tatum-anthony-davis">Week 4</a> | <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-nikola-jokic-dominance-overlooked">Week 3</a> | <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-shai-gilgeous-alexander-leads-jayson-tatum-anthony-davis">Week 2</a> | <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-mvp-mondays-24-25-jayson-tatum-dominance-celtics-title-chances">Week 1</a></b></i></p><h2><b>1. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Nikola-Jokic-warming-up-1.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #1</i></p><p><i>2024-25 season stats: 23 games, 30.9 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.7 steals, 56.3 FG%, 50.5 3P%</i></p><p>The only reason the Nuggets are 15-11 is because Nikola Jokic has put the team on his back and led them to a one-point win against the Sacramento Kings, as well as a three-point overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans recently. If it wasn’t for Jokic, the Nuggets may be in the same position as the Pelicans near the bottom of the West standings.</p><p>Jokic currently leads the NBA in triple-doubles (11) and ranks second in scoring behind only Antetokounmpo. As long as he is practically averaging a triple-double on the season and the Nuggets remain near the top of the West standings, it will be hard to argue that Jokic shouldn’t be the MVP, especially since he may be the <i>most valuable player </i>in the league when it comes to how much his presence means to Denver.</p><h2><b>2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-dribbling.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #2</i></p><p><i>2024-25 season stats: 24 games, 32.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, 61.3 FG%</i></p><p>When the Bucks were 2-8 and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, there was plenty of talk about this organization needing to tear everything down. Now that the Bucks are 15-12, they are on the cusp of becoming a top-four team in the East, and this is all because of what Giannis has accomplished on the court.</p><p>Aside from leading the league in scoring, Giannis leads everyone in shots made (307), ranks sixth in rebounding, 11th in blocks per game, and first in player efficiency rating. This metric usually helps dictate who wins the MVP award, at least over the last few seasons, so this could be a telling statistic for Antetokounmpo vs. Jokic.</p><p>As long as Giannis leads the league in scoring and keeps the Bucks surging up the standings, his MVP case will only grow.</p><h2><b>3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-dribbling-1.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #4</i></p><p><i>2024-25 season stats: 27 games, 30.3 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 50.8 FG%, 33.5 3P%</i></p><p>The Thunder are currently 22-5 this season and have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-says-no-excuse-mentality-led-winning-streak">technically only lost once in their last 12 games</a> since the NBA Cup championship game doesn’t count towards their record. In 27 games, Gilgeous-Alexander has recorded 30 or more points 14 different times. Only Giannis has done so more times this season.</p><p>What is even more impressive about Gilgeous-Alexander’s numbers is that he’s scored below 20 points only once. He has also scored below 25 points only once in his last 17 games, not including the NBA Cup championship. When it comes to scoring and commanding his team’s offense, SGA has been the best player in the league.</p><p>Without Chet Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander has put the Thunder on his back and elevated the team to new heights. They may be undersized and inexperienced, but his leadership is the reason why Oklahoma City has gone from a feel-good story to being the favorite in the Western Conference.</p><h2><b>4. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jayson-Tatum-dribbling-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #3</i></p><p><i>2024-25 season stats: 26 games, 28.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 46.3 FG%, 37.2 3P%</i></p><p>At this point, there’s nothing Jayson Tatum can do anymore to prove that he is a legitimate MVP candidate. Aside from how good the Boston Celtics are, Tatum is nearly averaging a double-double this season and just below 30 points per game scoring. Tatum has done enough talking about why he should be MVP, which is why <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-joe-mazzulla-kristaps-porzingis-jayson-tatum-mvp-pr-him">Joe Mazzulla and Kristaps Porzingis have increased their efforts for Boston’s star.</a></p><p>“Yeah, no question. 100 percent. It does because I think he’s been doing it for such a long time, and he’s on a really good team,” Mazzulla said recently of Tatum’s greatness interfering with his MVP campaign. “I think that hurts him sometimes, but his ability to do what he does on a great team, I think, says more about who he is as a player. But, yes, for sure.”</p><p>Porzingis agreed with Mazzulla’s comments, even saying that Tatum isn’t a “PR player” in the sense that “he doesn’t do everything for PR.” Tatum has been great on both sides of the court this season and deserves more respect in this MVP discussion.</p><h2><b>5. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mavericks-Luka-Doncic-after-scoring-against-the-Warriors.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><i>Previous ranking: #5</i></p><p><i>2024-25 season stats: 20 games, 28.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.1 steals, 45.9 FG%, 35.5 3P%</i></p><p>Whether or not Luka Doncic can truly be in the NBA MVP race depends on his health and the Dallas Mavericks’ ability to remain at the top of the Western Conference standings. Regardless of statistics, whoever has a better record at the end of the season between Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Doncic will surely hold significant weight.</p><p>In regards to health, Doncic has missed eight games this season. He must play in at least 65 games to be eligible for MVP, which means Doncic is only allowed to miss nine more games this year. The Mavs star has been banged up at times this year and could inch dangerously close to this eligibility number.</p><p>Three triple-doubles in his last four games, including a 45-point triple-double in a 143-133 win against the Golden State Warriors, is why Doncic is inside the top five of the NBA MVP rankings.</p><h2><b>Just missing the cut</b></h2><p>6. Karl-Anthony Towns – New York Knicks (Ranked No. 7 last week)</p><p>7. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs (Ranked No. 10 last week)</p><p>8. Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers (Ranked No. 6 last week)</p><p>9. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns (Ranked No. 8 last week)</p><p>10. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (Unranked last week)</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA MVP Mondays: Giannis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander use NBA Cup to tighten race

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-disbelief-milwaukee-not-playing-on-christmas-day');   ga('set', 'title', 'Giannis Antetokounmpo in disbelief over Bucks not playing on Christmas Day');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-in-disbelief-over-Milwaukee-not-playing-on-Christmas-Day.jpg"></figure><h1>Giannis Antetokounmpo in disbelief over Bucks not playing on Christmas Day</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T11:42:46-08:00">December 23rd, 11:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T12:36:30-08:00">December 23rd, 12:36pm</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo will not be featured in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-nba-failed-2024-christmas-day-schedule">this year’s Christmas Day games</a> in the NBA, and the superstar player does not like that fact, but he believes that the NBA has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6008028/2024/12/23/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-nba-christmas-game-snub/" rel="noopener">some kind of algorithm</a> to determine the matchups and maximize viewership.</p><p>“I’m a little bit upset or kind of questioning it,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “But I really believe there’s probably an algorithm that takes place within the NBA that shows who is the most attractive team or which team gets the most attention for them to be able to play in the Christmas game.”</p><p>Antetokounmpo went on to say that the Bucks’ star power with him and Damian Lillard should be enough to get them a matchup on Christmas Day. Last year the Bucks visited the New York Knicks.</p><p>“There’s gotta be an algorithm because if it’s — how can I say — like a popularity contest, I can give you facts,” Antetokounmpo said. “You want me to? Two of the NBA All-Star starters, Dame (Lillard) and Giannis, and the All-Star MVP, right? And the No. 1 vote-getter — not in the East, in the whole NBA — is not in the Christmas game? What? No, it’s a fact. … The votes came out last year. I was the No. 1 Dame was a starter. I was a starter. Dame won the MVP. Dame won the three-point contest. Maybe that has nothing to do with it. I believe we were one of the best teams in the East last year. Maybe not this year, OK? We don’t get a Christmas game. Why? Because we got a small market? Maybe that’s the case. Or I want to believe that I tell you, I think there’s an algorithm within the NBA that they choose which team will get the most attention, the most viewership that day.”</p><h2><b>Should the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo be featured on Christmas Day?</b></h2><p>The NBA’s Christmas Day matchups feature the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Knicks, the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Dallas Mavericks, the Philadelphia 76ers playing the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers playing the Golden State Warriors, and the Denver Nuggets playing the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>It is hard to argue many of these matchups. The Bucks playing the Knicks again would have been interesting, but it makes sense to see Victor Wembanyama on Christmas Day. Maybe the Bucks could have taken the Timberwolves or Mavericks’ spot. The 76ers and Celtics is a great rivalry matchup, while the Lakers and LeBron James against the Warriors and Stephen Curry always is a great game, and the Nuggets and Suns is a good Western Conference matchup.</p><p>Regardless, the Bucks can turn this into a reason to have a chip on their shoulder this season. They have already proven their worth as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-brutally-honest-nba-cup-suggestion-adam-silver">the Bucks won NBA Cup</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giannis Antetokounmpo in disbelief over Bucks not playing on Christmas Day

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/are-bucks-giannis-damian-lillard-playing-vs-bulls-latest-injury-updates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Giannis and Damian Lillard out vs. Bulls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Are-Giannis-Damian-Lillard-playing-vs.-Bulls-Latest-injury-updates.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Giannis and Damian Lillard out vs. Bulls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T10:22:32-08:00">December 23rd, 10:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T11:15:03-08:00">December 23rd, 11:15am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-damian-lillard-plan-nba-cup-winnings">Fresh off their NBA Cup championship run</a>, the Milwaukee Bucks are still getting back to reality. At 15-12, there is plenty of opportunity for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and the Bucks to continue growing into the title threats they were thought to be when the season began, starting with a game against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.</p><p>However, Giannis and Dame have both been on the team’s injury report as of late. Both stars are vital to Milwaukee’s success, and the absence of either player could easily result in another loss for the Bucks.</p><p>This has led many fans to ask the question, “Are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard playing vs. the Bulls?”</p><h2><b>Latest Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard injury updates</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-NBA-Cup.jpg"><figcaption>Candice Ward-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-brutally-honest-nba-cup-suggestion-adam-silver">One of the biggest complaints Bucks head coach Doc Rivers had</a> about the success his team found in the NBA Cup was the lack of rest and the quick turnaround they had leaving Las Vegas. The Bucks lost by 23 points to the Cleveland Cavaliers coming off their in-season tournament championship, and then they went on to defeat the last-place Washington Wizards by 11 points. Lillard has missed the last two games, and Antetokounmpo did not play against Washington.</p><p>Both Giannis and Dame were listed on the team’s <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-23_12PM.pdf" rel="noopener">injury report</a> ahead of Monday’s showdown with Chicago. However, both of Milwaukee’s stars will miss this game due to a <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1871268088861327591" rel="noopener">non-COVID illness</a>, the team announced Monday afternoon. Antetokounmpo was originally listed as questionable with back spasms, and Lillard was once again listed as doubtful because of an ongoing right calf strain.</p><p>It is worth mentioning that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-damian-lillard-status-nba-cup-championship-amid-calf-injury">Lillard was held out of practice before the NBA Cup championship game</a> in Vegas because of this calf strain, and he battled through the injury in that game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>Although he is sick, this will be the third straight game Lillard has missed with his calf injury.</p><p>Giannis has been putting together an MVP-like season for the Bucks, averaging 32.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 61.3 percent from the floor. He is the main reason why Milwaukee has been able to completely put their horrid start behind them. Lillard has been equally as important to the Bucks this season, averaging 25.7 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the floor. These two All-Stars are the league’s highest-scoring duo.</p><p>With Giannis and Dame out, it will be Khris Middleton who steps into a primary role for the Bucks. After being listed as probable with his ankle issues, Middleton has since been cleared and will be available against the Bulls. Bobby Portis, who stepped up with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in the Bucks’ 112-101 win over the Wizards, is also going to need to take on a larger role with Antetokounmpo missing his second straight game.</p><p>So, when it comes to the question of if Giannis and Damian Lillard are playing on Monday, the Bucks have said that both superstars will miss this game against the Bulls will due to an illness.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Giannis and Damian Lillard out vs. Bulls

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-khris-middletons-best-take-great-sign-for-return-to-form');   ga('set', 'title', 'Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Khris-Middletons-best-take-a-great-sign-for-return-to-form.jpg"></figure><h1>Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T10:56:29-08:00">December 22nd, 10:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T10:56:29-08:00">December 22nd, 10:56am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Saturday evening, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-blames-damian-lillard-ruining-bobby-portis-triple-double-attempt">Milwaukee Bucks bounced back</a> from a rough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a dominant home victory vs the Washington Wizards on the second night of a back to back. The Bucks dominated this one essentially from the start despite playing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-final-injury-updates-wizards-clash">without Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>, winning in basically every facet of the game and led by an epic 34-point performance from Bobby Portis.</p><p>Khris Middleton had arguably his best game of the season in this one, scoring 18 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out eight assists in just 24 minutes of action.</p><p>After the game, Middleton spoke on what he felt was <a href="https://x.com/eric_nehm/status/1870696475543707918" rel="noopener">clicking for him</a> out there on the floor, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.</p><p>“Still got a little bit to go, but tonight definitely felt like the best night I’ve had thus far. Always great to get a couple 3s going, mid-range going.”</p><p>When the Bucks stumbled out of the gates this year to a 2-8 start, one perhaps underreported reason why was the absence of Middleton, who missed the opening portion of this season due to an injury.</p><p>However, since Middleton has returned to the lineup, the Bucks have picked up the pace. Even though his stats haven’t necessarily been eye-popping so far, Middleton’s presence has opened up more room for volume shooters like Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green, each of whom have seen their percentages skyrocket as of late.</p><p>It’s easy to forget just how important of a role Khris Middleton played in the Bucks’ championship run in 2021, closing several games for them down the stretch during that postseason, including multiple occasions in the NBA Finals vs the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>In any case, the Bucks will next take the floor on Monday evening vs the Chicago Bulls on the road. That game will tip off at 8:00 PM ET from the United Center.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-doc-rivers-blames-damian-lillard-ruining-bobby-portis-triple-double-attempt');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Doc Rivers blames Damian Lillard for ruining Bobby Portis’ triple-double attempt');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Doc-Rivers-blames-Damian-Lillard-for-ruining-Bobby-Portis-triple-double-attempt.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Doc Rivers blames Damian Lillard for ruining Bobby Portis’ triple-double attempt</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T09:38:03-08:00">December 22nd, 9:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T09:38:03-08:00">December 22nd, 9:38am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-final-injury-updates-wizards-clash">Without Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>, the Milwaukee Bucks handled business and defeated the Washington Wizards. Bobby Portis stepped in and had a big game, finishing with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. He was <a href="https://x.com/eric_nehm/status/1870698334660555236" rel="noopener">two assists shy of a triple-double</a>, and head Doc Rivers blamed Damian Lillard for it.</p><p>“If Dame hadn’t have told (Bobby) that he had two assists left for a triple-double, he probably would have gotten a triple-double,” Rivers said after the game.</p><p>Portis agreed with Rivers’ statement and blamed Lillard for not getting a triple-double.</p><p>“He definitely messed me up,” Portis said. “I looked up, I had eight assists. And you know me, eight assists crazy. I got eight? I said, ‘Hold on, I gotta DHO and try to find it.’ Threw my whole rhythm off for real, but it’s all good.”</p><p>The Bucks were still able to get the win which is all that matters, but it would’ve been nice for Portis to finish it off with some more assists.</p><h2>Bucks get win without their two stars</h2><p>After their slow start to the season, the Bucks have now gained control and are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-12 record. The team should have even more motivation as the season continues after winning the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-brook-lopez-bobby-portis-reveal-scary-giannis-antetokounmpo-fact-after-nba-cup-win">Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a big reason</a> for their turnaround, and his teammates know that he can take them to where they want to go.</p><p>“He’s just always hungry, he’s never complacent, and he’s never plateaued,” Brook Lopez told ClutchPoints. “He’s the best player in the world and he’s always trying to get better. Every offseason, every day. Aside from all the talent, all the amazing plays he makes, just to see how hard he plays, how he gets on the floor, the way he goes after blocked shots, rebounds, making all the hustle plays. You just have to follow his lead.”</p><p>If Antetkounmpo can continue his dominance and everyone else plays at a high level, there’s no reason why they can’t continue to climb up the standings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Doc Rivers blames Damian Lillard for ruining Bobby Portis’ triple-double attempt

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-doc-rivers-brutally-honest-nba-cup-suggestion-adam-silver');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Doc Rivers reveals brutally honest post-NBA Cup suggestion to Adam Silver');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-Doc-Rivers-reveals-brutally-honest-post-NBA-Cup-suggestion-to-Adam-Silver.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Doc Rivers reveals brutally honest post-NBA Cup suggestion to Adam Silver</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T21:47:47-08:00">December 21st, 9:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T21:47:47-08:00">December 21st, 9:47pm</time><address><a>Dan Simmons</a>Dan Simmons covers the Milwaukee Bucks for ClutchPoints. He lives a short bike ride away from Fiserv Forum with his wife and daughter. His favorite jersey number is 34, owing to his Minnesota childhood idol, Kirby Puckett, and of course the Greek Freak.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks’ trip to Las Vegas couldn’t have gone much better, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-fans-go-wild-milwaukee-nba-cup-dominance-vs-thunder">with an NBA Cup championship banner to hang</a>, some extra holiday cash in players’ pockets, and plenty of team-building opportunities in Sin City. But the scheduling around the Cup had coach Doc Rivers feeling more Festivus than festive.</p><p>“I can be honest, I don’t know if we’ve recovered yet,” Rivers said on Saturday before the team’s game against the Washington Wizards. “It just takes a lot. I just think after the Cup, the first game should be probably on Sunday. You know, that would be great for everybody.”</p><p>Instead, the Bucks played at Cleveland on Friday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-milwaukee-hit-harsh-nba-playoffs-reality-check-loss-cavaliers">getting blown out 124-101 by the Cavaliers</a>, the NBA’s top team who didn’t play in Las Vegas. They played without star guard Damian Lillard, who was nursing an injury that he played through to earn all-tournament honors at the Cup, then came back home for the back-to-back against the Wizards.</p><p>MVP contender Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was named MVP of the Cup, joined Lillard <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1870544894319894985" rel="noopener">on the injured list</a>, sitting out the game. The absence of the two superstars was a reminder that, despite the extra cash and bonding for teams that play in the Cup’s final four in Las Vegas, the trip takes a toll.</p><p>“You know, last year the Lakers struggled out of it,” Rivers said. “Indiana struggled out of it. Is it just takes a lot.”</p><p>Rivers didn’t wait to air his grievances. As the players revealed in their Cup awards ceremony, Rivers was on the side pleading his case to NBA commissioner Adam Silver.</p><p>“That’s exactly what I was talking to him about, you know,” Rivers said Saturday. “He asked me what changes [he] should make.”</p><p>The NBA Cup had its inaugural run last season after Silver implemented it to generate interest and give players an extra incentive to compete during the early part of the regular season — players on the winning team earn an additional $515,000.</p><p>In its first year, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the Cup final, giving both teams big-game experience followed by, as many Vegas trips do, an extended hangover. Post-Vegas, the Lakers limped to a 1-4 mark. The Pacers went 1-3.</p><p>The Bucks’ win in Las Vegas capped a major turnaround in their season. After starting off 2-8, the team has gone 13-4. That includes a 112-101 beatdown of the Wizards on Saturday night. Veterans Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton stepped into starting roles, combining for 52 points. Both hit their season-high, picking up the slack left by their superstar teammates’ absence.</p><p>Next up: Bulls on Monday in Chicago. The Bucks don’t play on Christmas Day this year, giving the team a needed rest before they host the Nets on Dec. 26. Lillard and Antetokounmpo are day to day, expected back soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Doc Rivers reveals brutally honest post-NBA Cup suggestion to Adam Silver

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-khris-middleton-final-injury-updates-wizards-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_1119.jpeg"></figure><h1>Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T16:44:15-08:00">December 21st, 4:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T16:44:15-08:00">December 21st, 4:44pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-fans-go-wild-milwaukee-nba-cup-dominance-vs-thunder">Bucks have turned their season around following their NBA Cup win</a>. Since then, the Bucks have gone 0-1 coming into their Saturday matchup against the Washington Wizards. The Bucks are set to be a little short-handed against the Wizards with a key injury update. Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1870621782169801149" rel="noopener">was ruled out</a> on the Bucks injury list, the team announced. But Khris Middleton was upgraded to available.</p><p>Giannis Antetokoumpo was ruled out due to a back injury, while Middleton is still ramping up to game shape after his return from offseason ankle surgery. The Bucks will also be without Damian Lillard who also missed the team’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first game since the NBA Cup. Lillard is dealing with a calf injury.</p><p>This will be only the third missed game this season for Antetokounmpo. Despite rumored possible trade pursuits from other teams, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-not-seeking-trade">Antetokounmpo reportedly has no desire to be traded</a>. In the 24 games he’s suited up in this season, he’s been averaging a league-leading 32.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.5 blocked shots. He’s shooting 61.3 percent from the field.</p><p>In Khris Middleton’s case, he missed the first 21 games of the 2024-25 season as he continued his recovery from offseason surgery. He’s played in five games since he’s returned to the lineup, although he’s been coming off the bench.</p><p>In the five games that Middleton’s played in, he’s been averaging 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 30.8 percent shooting from the field, 28.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 82.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Middleton’s percentages are obviously concerning, but they should even out as he continues to feel more comfortable and up to game speed.</p><p>The Bucks began the season at 2-8 despite the general consensus penning them as a potential contender in the Eastern Conference. But the Bucks have managed to regroup and change the trajectory of their season. They are currently 14-12 and fifth place in the East. They’ve gone 7-3 in their last ten games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wizards-vs-bucks-prediction-odds-pick-12-21-2024');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards vs. Bucks prediction, odds, pick – 12/21/2024');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Wizards-vs-Bucks-prediction-odds-pick.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards vs. Bucks prediction, odds, pick – 12/21/2024</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T08:35:53-08:00">December 21st, 8:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T08:36:40-08:00">December 21st, 8:36am</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>We’re back with continued coverage of today’s NBA slate as we bring another betting prediction and pick for this next matchup in the Eastern Conference. The <b>Washington Wizards (4-21) </b>will visit the <b>Milwaukee Bucks (14-12) </b>with the Bucks leading the series 1-0. It’s time to continue our NBA odds <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba" rel="noopener">series</a> with a Wizards-Bucks prediction and pick.</p><p>The Washington Wizards most recently beat the Charlotte Hornets 123-114, snapping a three-game losing streak. They’ve gone just 2-13 over their last 15 games and currently hold the worst record in the NBA. They’ll look for an upset as they meet the Milwaukee Bucks for the second time this season.</p><p>The Milwaukee Bucks most recent won the NBA Cup after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81. They’ve now won 11 of their last 13 games and have dug themselves out of their early season hole. Now, they’ll look to notch a fifth-straight win as the heavy betting favorites in this matchup.</p><p><b><i>Here are the Wizards-Bucks <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba" rel="noopener">NBA odds</a>, courtesy of FanDuel. </i></b></p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Wizards-Bucks Odds</b></h2><p>Washington Wizards: +11.5 (-106)</p><p>Moneyline: +460</p><p>Milwaukee Bucks: -11.5 (-114)</p><p>Moneyline: -620</p><p>Over: 223 (-110)</p><p>Under: 223 (-110)</p><h2><b>How To Watch Wizards vs. Bucks</b></h2><p>Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT</p><p>TV: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(Get Access | Save $30)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Why the Wizards Could Cover the Spread/Win</b></h2><p>Not much is going right for the Washington Wizards this season and it’s clear this team doesn’t have much support with Kyle Kuzma out to injury. They’re looking towards Jordan Poole for most of their scoring production with his 20.6 PPG, but without Kuzma in the lineup, Malcolm Brogdon serves as their number two option with his 14.6 PPG. Nevertheless, the Wizards will have to find sufficient scoring production from bench players willing to step up and make contributions.</p><p>The Wizards fell to the Bucks 114-124 during their last meeting, but it’s worth noting that the Wizards managed to out-rebound their opponents during that one. They’ll have a chance to cover a wider spread if they’re able to do the same here, but their real answers will need to come on the offensive side of the ball. They could be getting a gift in Bucks’ Damian Lillard potentially missing another game, so Jordan Poole will have to make the most of this matchup and lead his team to a respectable performance.</p><h2><b>Why the Bucks Could Cover the Spread/Win</b></h2><p>The Milwaukee Bucks have hit their stride over the last month and it was clear that winning the NBA Cup meant a lot to this group. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 26 points as the games leading scorer and the Bucks were lucky enough to see OKC turn in their worst shooting performance of the season. They should be able to force the Wizards into similar woes during this game and they’ll be hoping to bounce back after their loss to Cleveland without Damian Lillard in the lineup.</p><p>It’s still unclear whether Lillard will get the nod to play in this one, but it offers an opportunity for players like Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green to step up in his absence. They’ve been the two best three-point shooters on the team over the last few games, so we should see them letting it fly during this one and looking to improve upon their recent lackluster performance. The Bucks’ defensive efforts will be the most crucial part of their game as they’re fully capable of holding this Wizards team to a modest total.</p><h2><b>Final Wizards-Bucks Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The Milwaukee Bucks firmly handled the Wizards the first time these two teams met and we should expect much of the same during this second meeting. While the status of Damian Lillard is still in question, the Bucks will have to find answers in terms of scoring along the perimeters and alleviating some of the pressure off Giannis in the paint.</p><p>Still, the Wizards can be a pesky team at times and if their three-ball begins to fall in this one, they could see a chance to keep this one close and make Milwaukee play hard to close the game out. Look for Jordan Poole to try and shoot the Wizards into a rhythm behind the arc.</p><p>Either way, the Bucks have a ton of mismatches on offense and if they’re able to control the paint and rebound, they should be able to roll over this Wizards team. Look for Giannis Antetokounmpo to have another big performance as he’s likely to draw a ton of fouls and find easy points at the line. For our final prediction, let’s roll with the Milwaukee Bucks to win this game and cover at home.</p><p><b>Final Wizards-Bucks Prediction &amp; Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -11.5 (-114)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards vs. Bucks prediction, odds, pick – 12/21/2024

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-brook-lopez-bobby-portis-reveal-scary-giannis-antetokounmpo-fact-after-nba-cup-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Milwaukee-Bucks-NBA-Cup-Bobby-Portis-Brook-Lopez.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T14:26:27-08:00">December 20th, 2:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T14:34:47-08:00">December 20th, 2:34pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LAS VEGAS, NV — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-brook-lopez-leaving-las-vegas-500000-draws-hilarious-response">win the NBA Cup</a> on Tuesday night, finishing the job they were unable to last season.</p><p>But this version of Antetokounmpo appears to be different than any we’ve seen of him before. He’s still the dominant “Greek Freak” everyone around the world knows, but the two-time MVP and NBA Finals MVP appears to have improved remarkably at age 30.</p><h2><b>Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis on Giannis Antetokounmpo after NBA Cup win</b></h2><p>Through the first quarter of the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging a career-high and league-leading 32.7 points per game on a career-high 61.4 percent shooting from the field.</p><p>“He’s just always hungry, he’s never complacent, and he’s never plateaued,” Brook Lopez told ClutchPoints after the Bucks’ NBA Cup win. “He’s the best player in the world and he’s always trying to get better. Every offseason, every day. Aside from all the talent, all the amazing plays he makes, just to see how hard he plays, how he gets on the floor, the way he goes after blocked shots, rebounds, making all the hustle plays. You just have to follow his lead.”</p><p>Through 25 games, Antetokounmpo is taking fewer than one three-pointer per game (0.7) for only the second time in his career, the first of which came in his sophomore season when he took 0.5 per game.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounpo-drives-against-Alex-Caruso-during-the-Bucks-Thunder-NBA-Cup-final.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>However, three-pointers are taking up just 3.5 percent of Giannis’ shots, which is down from 9.1 percent last year and is by far the lowest three-point volume of his NBA career.</p><p>The Bucks’ star also leads the league in points in the paint at 21.5 points per game, which if over four points higher than second place Nikola Jokic at 17.3 paint points per game.</p><p>“I mean, he’s only ever gotten better,” Brook Lopez added to ClutchPoints. “In his career in the NBA and obviously since I’ve been here as well, he’s never gotten complacent, he’s the best player in the world, he’s always trying to reach that next level, and he always does. It’s truly, truly inspirational, its really amazing.”</p><p>Going into this past summer, head coach Doc Rivers told his superstar that he wants to play him more out of the elbow in post-up and face-up situations. The team struggled out of the gate, losing eight of their first 10 games and sending everyone but the team into a frenzy.</p><p>Since then, however, the Bucks have won 13 of their last 16 games, including the NBA Cup final against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giannis, who has not shot under 50 percent or scored under 20 points even once this season, has been a significant part of the Bucks turnaround.</p><p>Antetokounmpo has been leading the NBA in points in the paint per game for three seasons in a row, and in six of the last eight seasons, but he’s taken a personal jump in each of the last four seasons (<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/misc?Season=2024-25&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=PTS_PAINT" rel="noopener">via NBA.com/stats</a>):</p><p>• 21.5 paint points in 2024-25 (1st)<br>• 20.3 paint points in 2023-24 (1st)<br>• 18.8 paint points in 2022-23 (1st)<br>• 15.9 paint points in 2021-22 (3rd, behind Ja Morant, Nikola Jokic)<br>• 16.7 paint points in 2020-21 (2nd, behind Zion Williamson)<br>• 17.5 paint points in 2019-20 (1st)<br>• 17.5 paint points in 2018-19 (1st)<br>• 15.7 paint points in 2017-18 (1st)</p><p>Additionally, Antetokounmpo is now taking 56.4 percent of his shots from inside of three feet, which is also up for four consecutive seasons. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html">According to Stathead</a>, here is Antetokounmpo’s shot volume from 0-3 feet in the last four seasons:</p><p>• 40.6 percent in 2021-22<br>• 48.0 percent in 2022-23<br>• 51.9 percent in 2023-24<br>• 56.4 percent in 2024-25</p><p>It’s also no coincidence that as his points in the paint totals increase over the last four seasons, the volume of three-point shooting by Giannis has also decreased as well. In 2019-20, three-pointers made up 23.7 percent of Antetokounmpo’s shot volume. <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html" rel="noopener">According to Stathead</a>, that number has decreased significantly year over year since.</p><p>• 23.7 percent in 2019-20<br>• 20.1 percent in 2020-21<br>• 19.4 percent in 2021-21<br>• 13.4 percent in 2022-23<br>• 9.1 percent in 2023-24<br>• 3.5 percent in 2024-25</p><p>Simply put, the Bucks’ star is no longer taking three-pointers and is playing from the elbow as well as in the paint much more.</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted that playing out of the elbow is something he’s needed some time to transition into, especially as the team incorporates Damian Lillard more and welcomes back Khris Middleton from injury. But Giannis has seen his success grow throughout the early portions of this season.</p><p>“I’ll be honest, in the beginning, I’ve never initiated my offense from the elbow or from the high post,” Antetokounmpo said after the NBA Cup win. “Usually, it’s in transition or in the screen and roll, so it was kind of a weird transition. I had the conversation with Doc and he told me it can be very, very effective when you’re at the elbow, you’re under the wall. It’s very hard for people to show crowds. And then when they show crowds, it’s easier for you to make that pass and you’re one step closer to the basket.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-celebrates-after-the-Bucks-Thunder-NBA-Cup-final-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“This whole summer, I was working on that and it’s not only about scoring. There’s levels to it. sometimes, you can facilitate, you can make the hockey assists to [Gary Trent Jr.] for the open three, you can create shots for yourself, you can get to the free throw line, but I think it just allowed me to be a little bit more effective down there and allows me to help my teammates be great. It’s something new for me. I’ve played in the elbow for 25 games. I think I will stay there for the rest of my career because I’m getting better. I’m getting better at it.”</p><p>Both Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis add that Antetokounmpo’s growth has come both on and off the basketball court.</p><p>“He’s just getting better every year,” Bobby Portis also told ClutchPoints after the NBA Cup. “It seems like [he does] every year I play with him. This is my fifth year playing with him now and every year I’ve played with him, I’ve seen him go to another level. Not just on the court, but as a leader. Like I said, my first four years I’ve played, he was more of a lead by example type of guy. Now he’s more of a vocal leader, telling guys what to do, where to be, pouring confidence into his teammates. I love this version of him.”</p><p>The Bucks didn’t celebrate their NBA Cup win with champagne, beer, and goggles like the Los Angeles Lakers did last season. Instead, the team took a very Giannis-like approach, enjoying the moment but remaining focused on the remainder of the regular season.</p><p>Damian Lillard is playing a big part in the Bucks run. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis know what they need to do in order to win a second NBA Championship.</p><p>But Milwaukee will only go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo is able to take them, and his newfound usage is already proving to be a difference maker. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/khris-middleton-playing-vs-cavs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Is-Khris-Middleton-playing-vs.-Cavs-after-missing-NBA-Cup-Final.jpg"></figure><h1>Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T11:19:04-08:00">December 20th, 11:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T11:19:04-08:00">December 20th, 11:19am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks face the Cleveland Cavaliers at home tonight. Khris Middleton is <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-20_12PM.pdf" rel="noopener">on the injury report</a> alongside Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-khris-middleton-doubtful-nba-cup-title-game-vs-thunder">Middleton is dealing with an illness</a> that made him miss Milwaukee’s NBA Cup Championship win. Meanwhile, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-damian-lillard-nba-cup-injury-report">Lillard (calf) and Antetokoumpo (patella) were able to play</a> through their respective injuries, combining for 49 points, 23 rebounds and 14 assists. Lillard won’t play for the Bucks against the Cavs, so hopefully, Middleton will be available. Here’s everything we know about Khris Middleton’s injury and playing status tonight vs. the Cavs.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Khris Middleton’s injury status vs. the Cavs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Khris-Middleton-celebrates-Bucks.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Given that Khris Middleton is listed as probable, he’ll likely play against the Cavs in Cleveland. Middleton sat out practice Monday but tried to go through the team’s walkthrough Tuesday morning. A few hours before the game, he was downgraded to doubtful before being ruled out by head coach Doc Rivers, who said the team didn’t want to risk his illness spreading with a back-to-back starting with the Cavs this weekend.</p><p>“He just didn’t feel good, and we didn’t want to take a chance with him being around the guys,” Rivers said. “Just wasn’t worth the chance.”</p><p>Middleton will likely continue to play between 20 and 25 minutes if he’s upgraded to available. Since his return, he has not found his groove through the first four games. Middleton has played only four games this season after missing the team’s first 21 contests while recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles. He is averaging 7.0 points, 5.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 21 minutes this season. He also shoots 25.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from three.</p><p>“I can’t rush back as much as I desire to, and as much as the team wants me back, I have to trust the medical staff,” Middleton <a href="https://andscape.com/features/milwaukee-bucks-forward-khris-middleton-faces-challenges-in-return-to-court/" rel="noopener">said in an interview</a>. “I can’t simply return and act like a hero. We are a team, and regardless of who’s on the floor, we must have faith in each other. I kept that perspective to avoid pressure on myself and ensure I rest appropriately.”</p><p>Having Middleton healthy for most of the season should help the Bucks get past that point if they return to postseason ball. However, Middleton and Milwaukee can only get to that point for Middleton to play for the Bucks. So, the answer to whether Khris Middleton will play against the Cavs tonight is probably yes. These on-court chances are critical for Middleton to regain his form and help Milwaukee return to the NBA Finals. So, unless his illness is worse, Middleton will be available when the Bucks face the Cavs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/bucks-news-doc-rivers-hall-of-fame-update-2024-nba-cup-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Doc Rivers gets Hall of Fame update after Bucks’ 2024 NBA Cup win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bucks-news-Doc-Rivers-gets-Hall-of-Fame-update-after-2024-NBA-Cup-win.jpg"></figure><h1>Doc Rivers gets Hall of Fame update after Bucks’ 2024 NBA Cup win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T06:18:04-08:00">December 20th, 6:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T06:18:04-08:00">December 20th, 6:18am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The month of December is turning out to be a good one for Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, and not just because he has the gravelly voice you’d imagine Santa Claus would have after shouting “Ho Ho Ho” from up on his sleigh all night long on December 24th. No, for Rivers, a successful month of December includes <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-fans-go-wild-milwaukee-nba-cup-dominance-vs-thunder">winning the second-annual NBA Cup</a>, and not too long after that, <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2024/12/19/milwaukee-bucks-doc-rivers-marques-johnson-jon-mcglocklin-nominees-for-hall-of-fame/77094985007/" rel="noopener">being named a nominee for the Basketball Hall of Fame</a>.</p><p>Along with Rivers, the <a href="https://thesource.com/2024/12/20/source-sports-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame-announces-star-studded-nominees-for-class-of-2025/" rel="noopener">rest of the first-time nominees</a> are Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol, Billy Donovan, Mark Few, Micky Arison, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Lisa Bluder.</p><p>For Doc Rivers, this distinction is simply a formality. The 13-year NBA veteran turned head coach is the eighth-winningest coach in NBA history, and he was named one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-gregg-popovichs-perfect-reaction-to-making-nba-15-greatest-coaches-list">fifteen greatest coaches in league history</a> back in 2021 during the NBA’s 75-year celebration. Even with multiple blown 3-1 postseason leads on there, with a 2008 NBA Title to his name, Doc’s coaching resume is complete. Even more so now after overseeing the Bucks’ 2024 NBA Cup victory.</p><h2><b>Bucks rounding into shape after slow start to 2024-25 season </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-hands-the-NBA-Cup-Trophy-to-Doc-Rivers.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After the opening ten games of the season, it looked like the Milwaukee Bucks were heading toward a fork in the road moment. At 2-8, the Bucks looked lifeless and calls for trades of both Damian Lillard AND Giannis Antetokounmpo were starting. However, Milwaukee was able to flip the switch, winning nine of ten games between November 12th to December 3rd, and going a perfect 6-0 in the NBA In-Season Tournament on their way to a Championship Game appearance against the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>In that deciding game, the Bucks, who had allowed 115.7 points during that miserable ten game stretch to start the season, held the Thunder to a season-low 81 points in the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas earlier this week. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-makes-promise-nba-cup">Giannis Antetokounmpo — the NBA Cup MVP</a> — and Damian Lillard combined for 49 points in the final game, and suddenly, the Bucks look very much like a contender to come out of the Eastern Conference come June.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Milwaukee
Bucks NEWS

Bucks News: Get the latest Milwaukee Bucks news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Bucks News

Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10 greatest accomplishments of his career

NBA MVP Mondays: Giannis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander use NBA Cup to tighten race

Giannis Antetokounmpo in disbelief over Bucks not playing on Christmas Day

Bucks’ Giannis and Damian Lillard out vs. Bulls

Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form

Bucks’ Doc Rivers blames Damian Lillard for ruining Bobby Portis’ triple-double attempt

Bucks’ Doc Rivers reveals brutally honest post-NBA Cup suggestion to Adam Silver

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash

• Wizards vs. Bucks prediction, odds, pick – 12/21/2024

• Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win

• Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?

• Doc Rivers gets Hall of Fame update after Bucks’ 2024 NBA Cup win

MilwaukeeBucks NEWS

Bucks News: Get the latest Milwaukee Bucks news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Bucks News

Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10 greatest accomplishments of his career

NBA MVP Mondays: Giannis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander use NBA Cup to tighten race

Giannis Antetokounmpo in disbelief over Bucks not playing on Christmas Day

Bucks’ Giannis and Damian Lillard out vs. Bulls

Khris Middleton’s ‘best’ take a great sign for Bucks return to form

Bucks’ Doc Rivers blames Damian Lillard for ruining Bobby Portis’ triple-double attempt

Bucks’ Doc Rivers reveals brutally honest post-NBA Cup suggestion to Adam Silver

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton get final injury updates for Wizards clash

• Wizards vs. Bucks prediction, odds, pick – 12/21/2024

• Bucks’ Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis reveal scary Giannis Antetokounmpo fact after NBA Cup win

• Is Khris Middleton playing vs. Cavs after missing NBA Cup Final?

• Doc Rivers gets Hall of Fame update after Bucks’ 2024 NBA Cup win

Milwaukee
Bucks NEWS