<!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', '/nba-rumors-the-trade-calls-bucks-making-complement-brook-lopez');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: The trade calls Bucks are making to ‘complement’ Brook Lopez');   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/The-trade-calls-Bucks-are-making-to-complement-Brook-Lopez.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: The trade calls Bucks are making to ‘complement’ Brook Lopez</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T14:40:54-08:00">December 19th, 2:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T14:40:54-08:00">December 19th, 2:40pm</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>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-doc-rivers-gets-real-amazing-opportunity-coach-giannis-antetokounmpo">Milwaukee Bucks are riding high</a> after their recent NBA Cup <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-brook-lopez-leaving-las-vegas-500000-draws-hilarious-response">championship victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder</a> on Tuesday in Las Vegas. It’s been a remarkable turnaround for a Bucks team that started out the season 2-8 but has since rebounded to push themselves into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.</p><p>After their disastrous start to the campaign, there were rumors swirling that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo may demand a trade from the franchise that drafted him back in 2013; however, now, those rumors have morphed into questions about how the Bucks will look to surround Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard with the best supporting talent available.</p><p>Recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports took to Marc Stein’s account on Substack to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/jake-fischer-latest-man-in-demand?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=153361674&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">shed some light</a> on some ways Milwaukee may look to improve itself on the interior.</p><p>“Milwaukee has made calls to explore ways to add more of a lob threat to complement Brook Lopez, according to league sources, while the Bucks’ incumbent center has generated no shortage of trade interest since last summer,” reported Fischer.</p><p>At this point, Brook Lopez doesn’t exactly profile as a lob threat but instead as one of the Bucks’ many perimeter floor spaces, a stark contrast to the back to the basket player he was during the majority of his career for the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Some names that might become available on the trade market that Milwaukee could potentially explore trading for include Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers as well as Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz.</p><h2>Is the Bucks’ turnaround legit?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Lopez-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While NBA seasons are always going to be full of ups and downs, it’s rare for a campaign to do a complete 180 as quickly as the Bucks have so far this year.</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dominant since the season began, but the Bucks as a whole appear much more connected on the defensive end as of late, and role players like Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green have added some much needed outside shooting after rough starts to the year.</p><p>It also helps that Khris Middleton recently returned to the lineup from an injury that caused him to miss the first chunk of the season.</p><p>In any case, the Bucks will next take the floor on Friday evening on the road vs the Cleveland Cavaliers, looking to salvage their first win of the season against their central division rivals. That game will tip off at 7:30 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: The trade calls Bucks are making to ‘complement’ Brook Lopez

<!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-leaving-las-vegas-500000-draws-hilarious-response');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks’ Brook Lopez leaving Las Vegas with $500,000 draws hilarious response');   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/Brook-Lopez-Damian-Lillard-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Milwaukee-Bucks-NBA-Cup.jpg"></figure><h1>Bucks’ Brook Lopez leaving Las Vegas with $500,000 draws hilarious response</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T13:16:08-08:00">December 19th, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T13:25:47-08:00">December 19th, 1:25pm</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">Exclusive</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LAS VEGAS, NV — Every player on the Milwaukee Bucks left Las Vegas <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-reveals-nba-cup-winnings-already-gone">$500,000 richer</a> after the franchise took home the second ever NBA Cup this week. Brook Lopez’s club defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, 97-81, to secure the Cup and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-player-giannis-promised-nba-cup-win-buy-house">winnings that come with it</a>.</p><p>Not many people go to a city like Las Vegas — notorious for its endless access to gambling tables, slots, and games — and leave it with significantly more money than they came in.</p><h2><b>Brook Lopez, Bucks leave Las Vegas with $500,000</b></h2><p>Brook Lopez was among four Milwaukee Bucks players in double-figure scoring in Tuesday’s blowout victory over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><p>Lopez scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds on 5-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three in 37 minutes of play.</p><p>After the victory, Lopez was among a handful of players who were available to media in the Bucks locker room during their celebrations. That’s where he joked about returning from a Las Vegas trip with more money than when he came into it.</p><p>“That’s not too bad either,” Lopez said. “It’s rare people leave Vegas with an extra $500,000, so we’ll definitely enjoy that.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“It's rare people leave Vegas with an extra $500,000, so we'll definitely enjoy that.”</p><p>Brook Lopez and the Bucks left Las Vegas $500,000 richer 😂</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomerAzarly</a>) <a href="https://t.co/TzNdCOEELN">pic.twitter.com/TzNdCOEELN</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869855579747029248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Lopez, who was a big contributor to the Bucks’ 2021 Championship run, hopes to use this NBA Cup run as fuel and a taste for another NBA Championship run later this season.</p><p>“It’s an amazing feeling right now,” Lopez added. “I was telling the young guys it’s like a small small small tease and taste of what it’s going to be like in June, so hopefully they take all this in. We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight and see the work it takes. I think we’re all committed to showing up each and every day to make that goal in June a reality.”</p><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee with a monster 26-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist triple double that also included two steals and three blocked shots on 10-of-19 shooting. Damian Lillard added 23 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 6-of-12 shooting from the field with five three-pointers. Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. both recorded 13 points while shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Brook-Lopez-holds-the-NBA-Cup-trophy-after-the-Milwaukee-Bucks-defeat-the-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-in-Las-Vegas.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The game was just another opportunity for the world to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo display his overall dominance and improved game. The Bucks’ star is averaging a career-high and league-leading 32.7 points per game. Oh, and he’s doing it while shooting a career-high 61.4 percent from the field.</p><p>“He’s just always hungry, he’s never complacent, and he’s never plateaued,” Brook Lopez added of Giannis after the 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>Of the 133 teammates that Antetokounmpo has played with throughout his NBA career, Brook Lopez sits at 417 games played with the Greek star. That ranks second behind only Khris Middleton, who has played 723 games with Antetokounmpo over his career.</p><p>In the 417 games they’ve played together, Lopez and Antetokounmpo have a 292-125 record (.700), including a 36-24 record in the NBA playoffs.</p><p>With the NBA Cup all wrapped up, the Bucks will now return home for just one day of rest before heading back out on the road for a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks’ Brook Lopez leaving Las Vegas with $500,000 draws hilarious response

<!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-news-jonas-valanciunas-makes-espn-top-100-before-brook-lopez-al-horford-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas just makes ESPN’s Top 100 before Brook Lopez, Al Horford');   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/2024/10/Jonas-Valanciunas-just-makes-ESPNs-Top-100-before-Brook-Lopez-Al-Horford.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas just makes ESPN’s Top 100 before Brook Lopez, Al Horford</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-16T17:10:22-07:00">October 16th, 5:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-16T17:11:19-07:00">October 16th, 5:11pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although the top 10 won’t be released until Thursday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-two-bulls-named-espn-top-100-rankings">ESPN revealed its top 100 NBA players</a> as the 2024-25 season approaches. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jonas-valanciunas-net-worth">Washington Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas</a> is the team’s lone representative, checking in at 91st.</p><p>Valanciunas’ <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/41555759/nba-rank-2024-2025-best-players-100-51" rel="noopener">durability helped him secure his spot</a> on the list, via ESPN’s Michael Wright.</p><p>“Valanciunas showcased incredible durability last season, playing in all 82 games and averaging a near double-double while shooting 56% from the floor. The 2023-24 campaign marked the eighth season in which the veteran played 70 games or more,” Wright said. “Washington features the NBA’s eighth-youngest roster, which means the Wizards will lean on Valanciunas’ veteran leadership.”</p><p>“His prowess in the paint should prove beneficial, given that Washington ranked last in second-chance points per game allowed last season and 29th in paint points allowed per game,” Wright continued.</p><p>Valanciunas signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Wizards in free agency this past summer after getting traded from the New Orleans Pelicans for a 2027 second-round pick. The 32-year-old’s ranking edged out fellow veteran centers Al Horford and Brook Lopez, who are 96th and 93rd, respectively. However, he finished behind younger counterparts like Isaiah Hartenstein (88th) and Mitchell Robinson (82nd).</p><p>Valanciunas will undoubtedly be a good example for power forward Alex Sarr to follow, who Washington drafted No. 2 overall this past spring. The Lithuanian international provides value both as a defender and stretch big on offense, both skills that the Wizards need Sarr to develop over the coming years.</p><p>Valanciunas, who was on Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James’ offseason wishlist, will most likely help Washington improve on its worst season in franchise history last year. How long the 13th-year veteran will remain on the team is unclear, but his contract has a no-trade restriction until December 15.</p><h2><b>Wizards are excited to have Jonas Valanciunas</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jonas-Valanciunas.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Valanciunas provides much-needed assistance to a Wizards frontcourt that struggled last season. On Media Day, Washington forward Kyle Kuzma <a href="https://x.com/chasedcsports/status/1840775322335171000?s=46" rel="noopener">shared his reaction</a> to the 2011 first-round pick joining the squad, via Monumental Sports Network’s Chase Hughes.</p><p>“That we’re not going to be the worst defensive rebounding team in the league anymore,” Kuzma said.</p><p>Kuzma wasn’t far off, as the Wizards ranked 29th with 48.5 total rebounds per game last season, although they were 24th in defensive rebounds. Regardless, the seven-footer should prevent that history from repeating itself. He previewed what’s to come against the Toronto Raptors on October 11, registering 12 points, eight rebounds, and a block in just 22 minutes.</p><p>Even more so than individually producing, though, Washington needs Valanciunas to help Sarr elevate into a top 100 player one day.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Jonas Valanciunas just makes ESPN’s Top 100 before Brook Lopez, Al Horford

<!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-rumors-what-bucks-told-brook-lopez-trade-talks');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: What Bucks told Brook Lopez about trade talks');   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/2024/09/NBA-rumors-What-Bucks-told-Brook-Lopez-about-trade-talks.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: What Bucks told Brook Lopez about trade talks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-01T08:59:57-07:00">September 1st, 8:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-01T08:59:57-07:00">September 1st, 8:59am</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">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-most-to-blame-for-disappointing-playoff-series-loss-to-pacers">Milwaukee Bucks had a disappointing ending to their season</a> last year after all of the hype surrounding them when they acquired Damian Lillard. Injuries caught up to them in the end, with Lillard and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/is-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-playing-vs-pacers-latest-game-2-injury-update">Giannis Antetokounmpo missing games during their first-round matchup</a> against the Indiana Pacers. It’s also hard to forget that the Bucks made a coaching change in the middle of the season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-why-adrian-griffin-firing-wasnt-shock-to-milwaukee-members">firing Adrian Griffin</a> and replacing him with Doc Rivers.</p><p>This season could be different for the Bucks, and with the ability to have a full season with Lillard and Antetokounmpo under their belts and Rivers being able to implement his system, they should be ready to roll. Unfortunately, that could also mean players getting traded such as Brook Lopez, but the Bucks gave the center some encouraging news about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNKsyoB7H_k" rel="noopener">any of the rumors</a> that he’s heard during the offseason.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>On The Hoop Collective, Brian Windhorst shared some insight on what he gathered from Lopez and Bucks trade rumors.</p><p>“As of right now, I’ve been told firmly that they are not trading him,” Windhorst said. “And so is Brook. Brook heard some of the rumors and said, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ They’re like, ‘No, we’re not trading you.'”</p><h2><b>Brook Lopez has been the defensive anchor of the Bucks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Brook-Lopez.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Brook Lopez has been an important part of the Milwaukee Bucks since coming to the team and has been a major key to their defense. He and Giannis Antetokounmpo have worked hand-in-hand when it comes to the Bucks’ interior defense, which helped them win the NBA championship against the Phoenix Suns in 2021.</p><p>Not only is Lopez important to their defense, but he offers a lot of offense. He’s not just a traditional center that lives in the paint but can also step out and space the floor. That gives the Bucks the option to do a lot of things on offense and opens the floor for players like Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who like to drive the ball and get into the paint.</p><p>Lopez is getting older and hasn’t been the same player that he was years ago, which was probably why he was in trade rumors to begin with. The Bucks have already shown that willing to improve their team no matter what, most specifically when they traded Jrue Holiday in part of acquiring Lillard.</p><p>It’s not certain how much the Bucks could get in return for Lopez, but right now it looks like they’re going to go into the season with him and try to win another championship. The Bucks added a few key pieces to their team in free agency, which includes Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., and Delon Wright. The shooting and defense that those three provide will be an important part of the team when the season starts.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.6	4.7	1.5	2.0	0.9

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.6	4.7	1.5	2.0	0.9

Brook Lopez

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NBA rumors: What Bucks told Brook Lopez about trade talks

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