Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard complete unreal feat not seen in 60 years
Milwaukee Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard made history only 18 games into their partnership
Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, with Lakers legends Jerry West and Elgin Baylor
There’s a general, often unspoken rule of thumb in relation to NBA records that goes something like this:
If you’re setting a record or doing something statistically that hasn’t been done since the 1960’s, you’ve accomplished something remarkable.
It’s why people rightfully lose their minds when Nikola Jokic puts up a stat line that hasn’t been seen since Wilt Chamberlain did it (NOTE TO THE READER:
Here at ClutchPoints, we’ve written sixteen articles since 2022 comparing a Jokic performance to that of Wilt Chamberlain). It’s why Russell Westbrook was named the league’s MVP in 2017, simply because the common player comparison for him that season was Oscar Robertson.
And it’s why I’m writing about Milwaukee Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard today. Because if Elgin Baylor and Jerry West were the last duo to do something on an NBA court, you’re in rarefied air.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard of the @Bucks are the first NBA teammate duo to each score 30+ points in 3 straight games, all ending in regulation, since Elgin Baylor and Jerry West did so from January 31 to February 2, 1963. pic.twitter.com/QBqiWtjdlW
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) November 29, 2023
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Now I’ll be honest, the fact that this “record” — a teammate duo scoring 30+ points in three consecutive regulation games — was held by Jerry West and Elgin Baylor is actually quite surprising to me.
It’s not a surprise that they did it, in fact, it’s more surprising that their streak wasn’t longer than three games given the fact that teams were averaging 119.6 possessions per 48 minutes in the 1962-63 season, over 20 more possessions than teams are averaging in so far 2023-24.
It was somewhat shocking that no other duos have done this in the 60 years since West and Baylor did it. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen never did it.
Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant never did it. Neither did LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, or Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
Shoot, you could’ve told me that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown accomplished this last season and I would’ve been inclined to believe you. But no, it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, a duo that has played all of 18 games together that just made history.
