Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo turned in another monster performance on Thursday night as he led the Bucks to a 126-113 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. This was a huge win for the Bucks to stay tied in that 5th spot with the Detroit Pistons.
Antetokounmpo put up some of the gaudiest numbers we have seen in the history of the NBA. He went off for 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting, to go along with 17 rebounds, 20 assists, and two steals in 39 minutes, something no other NBA player has done. Antetokounmpo has now scored 30+ points in six straight games. He has picked the right time to get hot with seven games left and the Bucks fighting to stay out of that play-in-game.
Rivers Reaches Milestone: Historic Win Secured
It wasn’t just Antetokounmpo grabbing headlines, Bucks coach Doc Rivers also achieved a historic feat in Thursday’s win. This was Rivers’ 1,156th career victory which put him ahead of former legendary coach Phil Jackson. Rivers is now seventh on the all-time list for most regular season wins.
The NBA reacted to this historic feat with a message to Rivers.
“Congrats to @Bucks coach Doc Rivers for moving up to 7th on the all-time COACHING WINS list!”
It was worth noting, that Rivers wasn’t actually able to see his historic victory Thursday night. The 63 year old headed back to the locker room during the game because he wasn’t feeling well. Assistant coach Darvin Ham took over in Rivers’ place.
He will still get credit for the win, and the Bucks desperately needed it. That puts them with the same record as the Detroit Pistons 42-34 with six game sto play. Milwaukee will stay on the road and travel to Miami on Saturday to take on the Heat at Kaseya Center.
Lillard’s Return in Sight: Bucks Issue Positive Update
The Bucks have missed out on their two-headed monster approach with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lillard has been out since March 18th vs the Golden State Warriors with a calf injury. Lillard has been confined to only playing in 58 games this year, his overall numbers across the board have been better than last year’s.
Lillard was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on March 25, a condition that can be dangerous if not treated properly. He was immediately placed on blood-thinning medication, and regular checkups have helped monitor his condition. NBA insider Shams Charania shared some promising news about Lillard’s recovery.
“Yeah, there is a chance, there is optimism. And with blood clots, usually, it is an extended absence, months-long absence, but I’m told his treatment started early. They identified kind of what it was, they started him on treatment, then they finally got the diagnosis back. He is having doctor appointments every single week to gauge how that blood clot looks in that calf.”
“My understanding is doctors are encouraged by where it is at. They see that the blood clot is actually lowering, it is decreasing, it is diminishing and he is doing some light workouts right now. He is hopeful to get cleared in the next week, week and a half to go full go contact and then resume basketball,” Charania revealed.
The latest reports indicate that doctors are encouraged by the progress, as the clot in his right calf is shrinking. For Bucks fans, this is the best-case scenario. Just weeks ago, there was uncertainty about whether Lillard would return at all this season. Now, there’s a real possibility that he could rejoin the team in time for the playoffs.
For more great Hardwood Heroics Content
Follow me on Twitter at @Ruze_Twins. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional sports, click here.
