Giannis Antetokounmpo strengthens early MVP case with game-winner against Pacers

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Giannis Antetokounmpo has started the season in great form.

Despite coming into the year with little fanfare, the Milwaukee Bucks have gone 5-2 thanks to Antetokounmpo’s leadership. He’s been a force in every aspect of the game so far, and opposing teams haven’t found any real way to slow him down.

Against the Indiana Pacers, Giannis put up another big performance with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. It was another standout showing for a player who has looked locked in from the opening tip.

Giannis Antetokounmpo seals another strong performance against the Indiana Pacers with a game-winner

Antetokounmpo made a tough 17-foot buzzer-beating fadeaway jump shot to give the Bucks a 117-115 victory over the Pacers on Monday night.

The two sides have built up quite a bit of animosity in recent years, with Indiana having knocked Milwaukee out of the playoffs in back-to-back first rounds.

For a moment, it looked like Indiana might pull off another late steal. The Pacers fought back from 11 points down with just over six minutes left, and Aaron Nesmith’s layup tied things up with 14.6 seconds remaining.

But after a timeout, the Bucks put the ball in Antetokounmpo’s hands. He got to his spot and knocked down the jumper to seal it.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been playing like the MVP so far this season

Antetokounmpo has posted huge numbers to start the campaign. The two-time NBA MVP is averaging 34.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 68.4 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range.

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He’s making things easier for his teammates, and scoring whenever he wants to. Since 2014, no one in the league has more 30-point games than him.

He’s making a difference at both ends of the court, and most importantly, helping the Bucks get results. If he keeps this up and Milwaukee finish as a top-three seed, there’s every reason to think he could claim his third MVP award.