Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
October 2025

Cleveland won a bruising contest, yet Antetokounmpo posted 40-13-9, joining Luka Dončić and Oscar Robertson with three straight 30-10-5 season openers. With Porter Jr. and Cole Anthony out and ball-handling duties elevated, Giannis absorbed heavy contact, lived at the line, and kept Milwaukee competitive deep into the fourth. Doc Rivers managed Giannis’ minutes near 33, toggling him as primary handler to offset backcourt absences. Cleveland’s switching and body blows didn’t blunt downhill pressure. For Milwaukee, short-term guard returns should normalize usage; medium-term, a secondary initiator is vital to preserve Giannis’ efficiency and late-game legs across dense schedule blocks.