Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history to have 35 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 126-113 Thursday night.
Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks shoot 51.6% from 3-point range. The Bucks are coming off a win Tuesday against Phoenix in which they shot 68.9% from the field, the highest in an NBA game since 1998, and 58.6% from 3-point range.
“When you’re the primary ball handler, you just gotta keep on making good decisions for the team,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “I feel like most of the time, I try to make the best decision for myself or for my teammates.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers left the bench in the first half, citing an illness, and watched from the locker room as assistant Darvin Ham took over. Ham said Antetokounmpo had to be more of a distributor without Damian Lillard, who is sidelined with deep vein thrombosis.
“Giannis has to think more like a point forward,” Ham said. “And he’s already built like that. So, it’s not too much of a challenge for him. It’s just now, you know, him understanding the organization, making sure we’re in the right spots, making sure our timing is on point and the ball is moving when it’s supposed to move on time or target.”
