MILWAUKEE — After the Milwaukee Bucks completed a 124-115 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night, Mavs star Luka Doncic had some high praise for former two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, calling him the best player in the league.
“It’s hard to go against a guy like that,” Doncic said. “He’s the best player in the NBA right now. He’s almost impossible to stop. It’s really fun to see him play, but it’s not that fun to go against him.”
Antetokounmpo’s dominance helped the Bucks cruise to victory Sunday in a game they never trailed, blitzing the Mavericks, who were on the second night of a back-to-back, despite 27 points and 12 assists from Doncic.
Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday, his seventh game this season with at least 30-10, breaking a tie with Doncic for the most such games in the NBA. Antetokounmpo also scored 30 points while shooting at least 55% for the fourth straight contest, tied for the longest streak of his career (2017), according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.
“He improves every day. He works really hard, you can see it,” Doncic said about Antetokounmpo. “He works on everything. He works on his shot and he’s gotten better at a lot of things. He just gets better every day.”
Both Doncic and Antetokounmpo have established themselves as early-season contenders for the MVP award this season. Doncic leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 33.1 points to go along with 8.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists while Antetokounmpo is fifth in the league averaging 30.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
So while Antetokounmpo was appreciative of the compliment from Doncic after the game, he also offered his own praise for the Mavs superstar.
“No matter wins or losses, just being respected by your peers, it’s always a good feeling,” Antetokounmpo said. “I always love playing against the best players in the league. He’s an incredible player, incredible talent, arguably one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. It’s unbelievable what he can do for himself and his team.”