Giannis Dominates Despite Disappointing Injury to Teammate in Bucks Opener

The Milwaukee Bucks started their season looking good. They grabbed an early lead in their opener against the Washington Wizards and never looked back. The entire Bucks starting lineup scored in double digits, but was of course, led by the brilliant play of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Despite being involved in recent trade rumors, Giannis has said he wants to stay a Buck (for now) and try to compete for a title in Milwaukee this season. His opening night performance may have shown how realistic that goal is. 

Giannis scored 37 points, had 14 rebounds, and five assists in the Bucks' 133–120 win. He shot 16-of-26 from the field and only turned the ball over twice. This impressive stat line was achieved in just 27 minutes for the Bucks’ star.

While Giannis dominated, it wasn’t all good news for the Bucks on Wednesday night. Kevin Porter Jr., the Bucks' starting point guard, was playing extremely well in the game before going down with an injury. KPJ had a quick 10 points, two assists, and a steal in the nine minutes before he went down. 

KPJ’s ankle sprain will definitely hurt the Bucks. They are already thin at guard and lack a ton of players who can orchestrate offense and handle. Kevin Porter Jr.’s injury will limit them even more and put pressure on players like Cole Anthony and Ryan Rollins to pick up the slack. 

KPJ is expected to get an MRI in the coming days to figure out the severity of his ankle injury. Meanwhile, Giannis will likely continue to put on dominant performances while he carries the Bucks’ mediocre roster.