For the last several seasons, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have brought a major challenge to the Boston Celtics.
As the Eastern Conference starts to take shape in the first quarter of the season, the All-Star is finding a rhythm once again, particularly with an exclamation point in a 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo set both a career-high and a franchise record with 64 points on Wednesday in a completely dominant performance. Nearly accounting for half of his team’s points, the Milwaukee star drained 20 of 28 attempts from the field while also grabbing 14 rebounds.
With a high-scoring effort, Antetokounmpo is averaging north of 30 points per game to start his 12th NBA season.
The Bucks sit 1 1/2 games behind the Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference through 22 games. With Antetokounmpo finding his form in dominant fashion, Boston and Milwaukee could be on another collision course.
The Celtics and Bucks meet early in the new year in Wisconsin on Jan. 11.