Giannis Antetokounmpo has scored 30+ points in each of his last eight games and the Bucks sit near the top of the East.
At quarter of the season, half of the league still seems to be in a calculation phase. Both conferences are crowded with teams hovering around .500 and engage in a daily game of musical chairs on the leaderboard.
The Boston Celtics received the most shine among the few contenders who managed to separate themselves from the pack, and rightly so. They are led by a new Kia MVP leader in Jayson Tatum, own the league’s top-rated offense and continue to rack up wins left and right — most recently a 27-point thrashing against the Suns in Phoenix.
That said, the Celtics still haven’t been able to distance themselves from a familiar foe in Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo has the Bucks sitting quietly just two games behind the top seed, with a stellar 18-6 overall record – good for second-best in the league.
That should come as no surprise considering Milwaukee has arguably been the most consistent powerhouse in the East for years now. In 2018-19, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first 50-plus season in 18 years, en route to winning his first consecutive Kia MVP trophy. And it’s not too much of a stretch to think they’d likely be sitting on four straight 50-win seasons if the 2020-21 campaign hadn’t been shortened to 72 games.
It’s hard to argue against the Celtics who currently have bragging rights in the East after their impressive Finals run and stellar start to the season. But so far, Antetokounmpo and company appear to be the main threat to topple the defending Eastern Conference champions and reclaim their crown.
*All stats through Thursday, December 8
The star of this week
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (Greece)
Statistics for the last 2 weeks: 35.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 5.7 apg
Movie theater: Can this version of Giannis Antetokounmpo be stopped?
Antetokounmpo racked up his eighth consecutive game of 30+ points in Wednesday’s 126-113 win over the Sacramento Kings – the first Bucks player to achieve such a feat since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972. Wednesday’s victory was the third and sixth straight victory for Milwaukee in its last seven games. If the Bucks hope to keep winning, they’ll have to win it because eight of their next 10 games are on the road, including a playoff rematch in Boston on Christmas Day.
Other notables
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (Serbia)
Statistics for the last 2 weeks: 23.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 8.5 apg
Nikola Jokic drops 33 points and 10 rebounds to Trail Blazers
The reigning back-to-back MVP needs another triple-double to become the sixth player in NBA history to record 80. The exclusive list includes Russell Wesbrook (194), Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138 ), Jason Kidd (107) and LeBron James (105). Jokic already has three triple-doubles this season and has had twice as many near misses – he has rebounded or assisted short of a triple-double on six occasions. Jokic is sitting on 79 career triple-doubles since Nov. 3, but it’s only a matter of time before The Joker hits the elusive milestone.
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks (Slovenia)
Statistics for the last 2 weeks: 30.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 10.0 apg
Luka Doncic’s best from the 2022-23 NBA season so far
Dallas’ overtime loss on Dec. 1 to the Detroit Pistons was arguably its lowest point of the season so far. He wrapped up a 1-5 streak, including four straight losses at one point. Since then, the Mavericks have won three straight, including a 130-111 rout of the Suns and a 116-115 loss at Denver. Dallas’ lack of ball players forces Doncic to dictate most of the offense and carry a heavy load to that end, but the league’s top scorer has proven he’s up for the challenge night after night . The long-term question, though, is whether that style of play is sustainable enough to pull out of a treacherous Western Conference in the playoffs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (Canada)
Statistics for the last 2 weeks: 31.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.3 apg
Movie Theater: Why “The Shai Way” of 2-point mastery is raising the thunder
Like other teams hovering around .500, the Thunder struggled to stay consistent. The only consistent thing about them is their game log pattern – every time they get a few wins, a few losses follow. Expect inconsistency from the league youngest team but luckily for Oklahoma City fans, Gilgeous-Alexander was the exact opposite of that. The 24-year-old ranks third in the league in points (31.1 points per game) and has recently played in seven consecutive 30+ point games.
A bit more: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers; Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors; Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder.
Rookie Spotlight
Benoit Mathurin, Indiana Pacers (Canada)
Statistics for the last 2 weeks: 15.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 35.2 fg%
Benoit Mathurin | Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month
There’s a rookie revolution going on in Indiana right now. Mathurin remains one of the favorites to leave with Kia Rookie of the Year honours, but if 31st overall pick Andrew Nembhard continues his impressive emergence, Mathurin could find himself trying to fend off his own teammate to claim the award. Want to know how special this duo is? They are the first pair of rookies in Pacers franchise history to have more than 30 scoring games in the same season.
Must-see pieces
SIMONE FONTECCHIO FOR THE FLYING VICTORY!@utahjazz WIN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yyclOCRtAg
—NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2022
❌ STATE TOWER ❌
Rudy Gobert obtains the CLUTCH block to seal the victory of the @Timberwolves! pic.twitter.com/LjLxAehulQ
—NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2022
Bol Bol is going coast to coast for the JAM 😳
He has a team record 11 PTS on the NBA app so far.
📲 https://t.co/1pomQZN8Pi pic.twitter.com/7pXRLROMro
—NBA (@NBA) December 4, 2022
