This is Giannis against the Mavs when they are playing without any of their main players. ie a blowout.
You notice it looks nothing like when the game actually matters. Giannis had 6 out of 10 shots that weren’t next to the rim. Basically he was on his own and could play freely. And this is how we know Giannis can’t do clutch:
He shot 6/6 free throws. So now you know. Giannis has psychological problems in high intensity situations. It’s not his technique, it’s his brain that is the problem.
Last night, March 5, 2025, the Milwaukee Bucks demolished the Dallas Mavericks 137-107 at Fiserv Forum, and Giannis Antetokounmpo crossed the 20,000-point career milestone with 32 points. On paper, that sounds like a triumph worth celebrating. But if you watched the game, you’d know the truth: Giannis was far from the dominant force we’ve come to expect. For a player of his caliber—two-time MVP, perennial All-Star, and supposed cornerstone of this Bucks squad—his performance was, frankly, underwhelming, even in a blowout.
What a ball hog? He still managed to hold the ball more than anyone despite playing less minutes! Poor Brook Lopez hardly touched the ball in 23 minutes and other role players – as usual- sit around waiting for Giannis and Dame to do their stat padding.
Giannis’ 32 points looks great until you realize how inefficiently he got there. Sure, he padded his stats against a Mavericks team missing key pieces like Kyrie Irving (out for the season with a knee injury) and Anthony Davis (still sidelined post-trade). But against a depleted Dallas roster, Giannis should’ve been unstoppable, not merely adequate. Too often, he settled for contested drives instead of exploiting mismatches or orchestrating the offense. His play felt more like a stat-chasing exercise than a display of the game-wrecking brilliance he’s capable of.
Defensively? Don’t get me started. The Mavericks, even shorthanded, found ways to exploit gaps where Giannis was supposed to be. His effort on that end was sporadic at best—lapses in rotation, slow closeouts, and a general lack of the intensity that once made him a Defensive Player of the Year. Dallas may not have had their full arsenal, but players like Klay Thompson still got clean looks that Giannis could’ve contested harder. For a guy who prides himself on versatility, it was disappointing to see him coast while his teammates carried the defensive load.
And then there’s the leadership—or lack thereof. With Damian Lillard dropping 34 points and Kevin Porter Jr. notching a triple-double, Giannis seemed content to let others steer the ship. Where was the fire? The urgency? This was a chance to send a message to the league, to assert Milwaukee’s dominance over a Western Conference contender, even one hobbled by injuries. Instead, Giannis played like it was a midseason tune-up, not a statement game. His nine rebounds and six assists? Solid, sure, but for a player who’s averaged over 12 boards and nearly 6 dimes this season, it’s a step down when it mattered.
The Bucks won by 30, so why does this matter? Because Giannis is supposed to be the heartbeat of this team, not just a passenger racking up points in a runaway victory. Against tougher opponents—say, a healthy Boston or a playoff-ready Denver—this kind of half-hearted effort won’t cut it. Last night was a missed opportunity for Giannis to sharpen his edge, to remind everyone why he’s still a top-five player. Instead, he left us questioning whether he’s truly locked in for the long haul this season.
Milwaukee fans might be cheering the scoreboard today, but they should be worried about Giannis. If this is the version of the “Greek Freak” we’re getting in March—with the playoffs looming—then the Bucks’ championship hopes might be shakier than that shiny 137-107 scoreline suggests. He hit 20,000 points, sure. But last night, Giannis didn’t look like a legend in the making. He looked like a guy going through the motions.
