Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday, falling to Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, 118-113. The Bucks were coming off two straight wins before losing to the Cavs, which left Milwaukee at 2-1 on the season.
Antetokounmpo was a dominant force in this one, registering a game-high 40 points on 14-of-20 shooting, to go along with 14 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, two blocks and one three-pointer in 33 minutes of action.
Antetokounmpo’s Herculean effort still wasn’t enough, though, with Mitchell (24 points, four assists) and Evan Mobley (23 points, eight rebounds, six assists) leading the charge for Cleveland.
Antetokounmpo kept his foot on the gas on Sunday night. He’s had a strong start to the new NBA season, and his performance against the Cavs proves that there are no signs of the two-time MVP slowing down anytime soon. In three games played so far, the Bucks superstar has averaged 36.0 points on 68.3% shooting, 16.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.0 blocks, while also connecting on 1.3 triples on a 66.7% clip.
Antetokounmpo made NBA history on Sunday amid his blistering start to the campaign. The NBA took to social media to announce the nine-time All-Star’s latest feat.
“Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes the FIRST player in NBA history to open a season with 100+ points, 40+ rebounds & 15+ assists through his first three games!” NBA History posted on X.
Antetokounmpo, who is currently in the first season of his three-year, $186 million extension with the Bucks, will need to carry a heavier load this season. This is after Milwaukee waived Damian Lillard in the offseason following the veteran point guard’s Achilles injury.