Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo were named Players of the Week for their conferences. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
That’s back-to-back Player of the Week awards for Lillard in the Western Conference after he averaged 38.3 points, 6.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in a 3-1 week. For the two-week stretch, Lillard averaged a cool 40 points, shooting 55.9 percent from the field. After a 60-point effort last week, Lillard only went for 40 points three times this past week.
It’s Lillard’s third Player of the Week this season, and the 15th of his career. It’s also Antetokounmpo’s third Player of the Week this year, more any player save Lillard. He’s won 20 Player of the Week Awards in his career.
The Greek Freak had a 54-point game this week that made him turn his back on Chick-fil-A. He had a monster week overall, averaging 41 points, 17.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks won their seventh straight game since he returned from a knee injury. He even made 24 free throws!
The timing is amazing because Lillard’s Trail Blazers face off against Antetokounmpo’s Bucks tonight in Portland. And according to one Blazers beat writer, the stakes are high.
Giannis vs. Dame: There can be only one.
