Giannis Antetokounmpo has long been a nuisance as far as the Chicago Bulls are concerned.
A year-and-a-half ago, he was ejected from the Milwaukee Bucks' Game 6 blowout playoff loss for tackling Mike Dunleavy into the courtside seats.
Since then, the Greek Freak has morphed into a different type of terror—not just for the Bulls, but for the NBA at large.
Antetokounmpo pulverized the Bulls in every which way during the Bucks' 116-96 blowout win at the United Center on New Year's Eve. There was the usual array of awe-inspiring slams, including one impossible alley-oop finish early in the third quarter:
He got in on the act from outside, draining a three-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer and cut Milwaukee's deficit to two points.
On the other end, Antetokounmpo gave the Bulls nightmares around the rim. He racked up a career-high seven blocks—five in the first half—and picked off a pair of passes.
By the time head coach Jason Kidd subbed him out for Steve Novak at the end of the fourth quarter, Antetokounmpo had stuffed the stat sheet like Mr. Creosote, to the tune of 35 points on 13-of-19 shooting (8-of-11 from the free-throw line), nine rebounds and seven assists.
That was the latest in a slew of spectacular performances from Antetokounmpo at Chicago's expense. During a back-to-back against the Bulls in mid-December, he piled up a collective 52 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists, six steals and two blocks. The Bucks won those games by a combined 37 points.
Antetokounmpo's all-around skill set and the gaudy numbers it produces is but one reason his name—tongue twister though it is for some—belongs in a breath with the NBA's best. He's the only player in the league who can be found among the top 25 in all five major statistical categories.
His ability to affect (if not dominate) the game in every way has been key to the Bucks' ability to (16-16) hang around the Eastern Conference playoff picture, despite losing Khris Middleton to a hamstring injury before the season and sacrificing their depth at point guard to shore up the wing.
He hasn't done it alone, however. Antetokounmpo's gotten plenty of help from Jabari Parker. The former No. 2 pick poured in 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field in his hometown Saturday.
Once plagued by an ACL tear suffered during his rookie season, Parker has emerged as a bona fide 20-point-per-game scorer (20.5 this season, to be exact)—with plenty of his own bounce—to serve as Antetokounmpo's sidekick.
Where once the Bucks snagged Antetokounmpo out of the rough as the No. 15 pick in 2013, they may have excavated another diamond during the 2016 draft: Malcolm Brogdon became the first rookie with a triple-double in nearly two years with his 15 points, 11 boards and 12 assists against the Bulls. The more on-ball duties (and ice baths) the 24-year-old Virginia grad can handle, the more Antetokounmpo can strike fear into his opponents' hearts with sharp cuts and high-flying finishes.
Throw in Greg Monroe (15 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL) as a fulcrum off the bench, and Milwaukee has the makings of a potential threat to one of the East's top teams come playoff time.
That will do more to determine Antetokounmpo's standing among his peers than any regular-season explosion could. Superstars may be born during the grind of an 82-game campaign, but only the pressure of postseason competition can forge them into faces of the sport.
Antetokounmpo has the talent to get there. At 22, he seems to have plenty of time to climb even higher. And with the right young studs around him, he could lead the Bucks to their most astounding heights since at least the halcyon days of Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell.
At 16-16, Milwaukee is in a virtual tie for sixth place in the East. If Antetokounmpo keeps this up, the Bucks could close the three-game gap between themselves and the third-place Boston Celtics.
Either way, expect to see the Greek Freak in his first All-Star Game this February—and in many more to come.
You Can't Stop the Triple-Doubles
The NBA's dueling triple-double machines were back at it to end 2016.
Russell Westbrook had his 16th of the season before halftime against the Los Angeles Clippers. James Harden was one rebound shy of his eighth at the break with the New York Knicks in town.
The Oklahoma City Thunder didn't need much more than that from Westbrook. With Chris Paul (hamstring) and Blake Griffin (knee) still sidelined for L.A., the Thunder flew into halftime with a 29-point lead en route to a 114-88 win.
Westbrook finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists and just one turnover in 29 minutes. Victor Oladipo's return (15 points) from a wrist injury afforded OKC's remaining All-Star another target for his pinpoint passes, be they bounces on the break or whipped from inside out on the attack.
Enes Kanter was once again an easy find for Westbrook, as well. He extended his streak of double-digit scoring games to six, with 23 points and eight rebounds against the Clippers' tired front line. Steven Adams (11 points, five rebounds) and rookie Alex Abrines (12 points, 4-of-5 from three) rounded out five Thunder players in double figures.
Harden, meanwhile, had to pile up one of the more impressive lines in NBA history to help his Houston Rockets stave off the Kristaps Porzingis-less Knicks, 129-122. According to Bleacher Report's Kelly Scaletta, Harden had a hand in nearly 75 percent of Houston's points:
All told, the Arizona State product feasted for 53 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to log a triple-double with at least 50 points, 15 boards and 15 helpers.
With two more turnovers, he would've had a quadruple-double, for better or worse.
To get his career-high scoring night, Harden rumbled to the free-throw line 18 times (making 16) and knocked down nine triples. Thanks to him, the Rockets (26-9) have climbed comfortably into third place out West, four-and-a-half games up on a four-team morass in the middle and just two back of the second-place San Antonio Spurs.
Not since Hakeem Olajuwon was in search of a third straight championship had Houston won 15 games in a calendar month, according to Statmuse.
Westbrook, though, is the only one of the two on track to average a triple-double. So far, the Thunder are 13-3 when he goes for one of those. Without that jaw-dropping production, OKC (21-13) might be sniffing the lottery. Instead, it's got a shot at a top-four seed in the Western Conference.
At this point, picking an MVP between them is a matter of personal taste.
Maybe you prefer Harden's smooth, supercharged Steve Nash impression at the head of Mike D'Antoni's high-scoring snake. Or maybe you're partial to Westbrook's relentlessness in forging a formidable team out of less than inspiring parts in the Sooner State.
Whichever is your choice, there's one thing on which we can all agree: The former and current Thunder stars have respectively gifted the league with some tremendous hoops.
More Threes for Grizzlies
The last time the Memphis Grizzlies played four straight road games in California, they came away with a clean sweep of the state. So far, the Grizzlies are a quarter of the way toward repeating that feat, thanks to a 112-98 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Memphis' latest trip to California's capital could've been a precarious one. Prior to the game, Mike Conley was listed as questionable on account of a toe injury. Marc Gasol sprained his left ankle early in the third quarter with just two points, two rebounds and two assists, though he was eligible to return.
Not that the Grizzlies needed their sensational center, even opposite All-Star DeMarcus Cousins.
A healthy Conley popped for 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists. He also knocked down three of Memphis' franchise-record 17 threes against a Sacramento defense that ranks dead last in long makes allowed, per NBA.com. All told, six Grizzlies scored in double figures, with JaMychal Green and Vince Carter draining four treys apiece, including the record-setter from Carter late during the fourth quarter.
According to the Grizzlies' PR Twitter account, the team's scorching performance from deep extended a recent three-point hot streak:
Cousins, meanwhile, finished with game highs in points (26), assists (eight) and steals (five), but he couldn't stop Memphis from gritting and grinding its way to a 22-point lead in the second half.
For their efforts (and thanks to the schedule), the Grizzlies will get to rest until Tuesday, when they begin a back-to-back at Staples Center against the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. If Gasol can't go, Memphis could continue its rampage from beyond the arc against a Lakers defense that's allowed the sixth-most three-point makes in the league, per NBA.com.
Cavs Cruise in Charlotte Without Kyrie
The Cleveland Cavaliers went into North Carolina on the last day of 2016 with just 10 players in uniform.
With Kyrie Irving and Mike Dunleavy nursing hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively, and J.R. Smith recovering from thumb surgery, the Cavs resorted to starting Jordan McRae and DeAndre Liggins in their backcourt against the Charlotte Hornets.
Fortunately for Cleveland, LeBron James and Kevin Love were healthy enough to play. And, well, two out of three ain't bad. That duo combined for 60 points—45 in the first half—to carry the Cavs to a 121-109 win in Charlotte.
Irving's replacements did their part, at least on the offensive end. McRae dropped a season-high 20 points, while Kay Felder—the diminutive rookie point guard out of Oakland University—added 13 points, two assists and two steals off the bench.
Those two got torched by Kemba Walker, who erupted for 37 points to keep the Hornets within sniffing distance. But two studs are still better than one, and when the former pair features James (32 PTS, 6 REB, 9 AST) and Love (28 PTS, 10 REB) at full throttle, there's little most teams can do to keep up.
And, apparently, even less Father Time can do to keep James down, as ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh noted:
Jazz Hang on After Losing Hill
One of these days, the Utah Jazz will put it all together and keep it there. Just not Saturday.
They seemed to have their house in order on New Year's Eve, until George Hill, in his second game back from injury, took an elbow to the face from Phoenix Suns center Alex Len during the first quarter and didn't return. According to the Salt Lake Tribune's Tony Jones, Hill needed 18 stitches to close a cut on his mouth and will be subjected to the NBA's concussion protocol.
Without him, Utah scraped out a 91-86 win over a frisky Phoenix squad on the strength of its defense. The Jazz held the Suns to a single bucket over the final five minutes of the game and deployed Joe Ingles to shut down Devin Booker after the second-year guard exploded for 18 points during the first quarter.
In Hill's stead, Shelvin Mack and Raul Neto scored eight points apiece while piloting Utah's offense. Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert each scored 18 points to lead Utah, with Rodney Hood adding 13 and Derrick Favors storing up nine points and eight boards.
At 21-13, the Jazz will start 2017 as a top-four seed in the Western Conference. They can only hope, though, that their team as a whole, and Hill in particular, will be healthy enough in the new year to hold on to a slice of home-court advantage until the spring.
Saturday's Final Scores
Milwaukee Bucks 116, Chicago Bulls 96
Memphis Grizzlies 112, Sacramento Kings 98
Cleveland Cavaliers 121, Charlotte Hornets 109
Houston Rockets 129, New York Knicks 122
Oklahoma City Thunder 114, Los Angeles Clippers 88
Utah Jazz 91, Phoenix Suns 86
All stats are via NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and listen to his Hollywood Hoops podcast with B/R Lakers lead writer Eric Pincus.