By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden have developed a rivalry as they competed for the MVP ward year after year, with that being the case this season as well.
The games in Orlando won’t count toward the decisions for this year’s MVP but the two superstars will without a doubt go “full throttle” to prove their supremacy as well as get their squad in the best possible spot before the playoffs.
Milwaukee has a chance to secure their position at the top of the Eastern Conference while Houston, which is currently fifth in the West, needs every win they can get in order to reach the Nuggets and the Jazz as well as keep Oklahoma and Dallas of their backs.
The Bucks have been leading the NBA with a 54-12 record and are topping most of the stats categories. Perhaps their dominance could be summed up in the fact that they have +11.2 differential per game which puts them on pace for the fifth-best in NBA history. And each of the squads in the top four won the title.
No doubt that Milwaukee will be the favorite vs. Houston, even more so due to the fact that they won the past three clashes against them including the one early on this season.
For some, however, it won’t matter who actually wins but who was the best player on the court. With all eyes being on Giannis and Harden.
With that in mind, here are some stats from their previous 13 clashes. Keep in mind, though, that it took a bit time for Giannis to reach the MVP level while Harden – who is older five years – was already ‘mature’ and with a leading role in their early duels.
Via Basketball Reference:
| Rk | Player | Date | Age | Tm | Opp | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2014-01-18 | 19-043 | MIL | @ | HOU | L | 1 | 21:16 | 4 | 10 | .400 | 2 | 4 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | |
| 1 | James Harden | 2014-01-18 | 24-145 | HOU | MIL | W | 1 | 37:03 | 7 | 16 | .438 | 1 | 6 | .167 | 7 | 10 | .700 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 22 | |
| 2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2014-02-08 | 19-064 | MIL | HOU | L | 0 | 24:56 | 0 | 8 | .000 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2 | James Harden | 2014-02-08 | 24-166 | HOU | @ | MIL | W | 1 | 39:06 | 9 | 21 | .429 | 1 | 9 | .111 | 3 | 4 | .750 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 22 |
| 3 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2014-11-29 | 19-358 | MIL | HOU | L | 1 | 34:42 | 7 | 12 | .583 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 3 | 3 | 1.000 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 17 | |
| 3 | James Harden | 2014-11-29 | 25-095 | HOU | @ | MIL | W | 1 | 38:16 | 9 | 14 | .643 | 4 | 5 | .800 | 12 | 13 | .923 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 34 |
| 4 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2015-02-06 | 20-062 | MIL | @ | HOU | L | 1 | 34:43 | 11 | 16 | .688 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | .833 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 27 | |
| 4 | James Harden | 2015-02-06 | 25-164 | HOU | MIL | W | 1 | 40:14 | 9 | 14 | .643 | 3 | 6 | .500 | 12 | 17 | .706 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 33 | |
| 5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2016-01-22 | 21-047 | MIL | @ | HOU | L | 1 | 33:30 | 7 | 12 | .583 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1.000 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | |
| 5 | James Harden | 2016-01-22 | 26-149 | HOU | MIL | W | 1 | 34:06 | 9 | 15 | .600 | 5 | 8 | .625 | 7 | 8 | .875 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 30 | |
| Rk | Player | Date | Age | Tm | Opp | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | ||
| 6 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2016-02-29 | 21-085 | MIL | HOU | W | 1 | 42:22 | 7 | 13 | .538 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 4 | 11 | .364 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 18 | |
| 6 | James Harden | 2016-02-29 | 26-187 | HOU | @ | MIL | L | 1 | 39:58 | 8 | 16 | .500 | 3 | 7 | .429 | 7 | 7 | 1.000 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 26 |
| 7 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2017-01-18 | 22-043 | MIL | @ | HOU | L | 1 | 37:01 | 13 | 20 | .650 | 1 | 4 | .250 | 5 | 6 | .833 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 32 |
| 7 | James Harden | 2017-01-18 | 27-145 | HOU | MIL | W | 1 | 36:42 | 14 | 25 | .560 | 4 | 11 | .364 | 6 | 6 | 1.000 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 38 | |
| 8 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2017-01-23 | 22-048 | MIL | HOU | W | 1 | 36:28 | 11 | 17 | .647 | 2 | 3 | .667 | 7 | 8 | .875 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 31 | |
| 8 | James Harden | 2017-01-23 | 27-150 | HOU | @ | MIL | L | 1 | 39:33 | 6 | 10 | .600 | 2 | 4 | .500 | 12 | 14 | .857 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 26 |
| 9 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2017-12-16 | 23-010 | MIL | @ | HOU | L | 1 | 42:19 | 10 | 22 | .455 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 8 | 10 | .800 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 28 |
| 9 | James Harden | 2017-12-16 | 28-112 | HOU | MIL | W | 1 | 39:12 | 8 | 21 | .381 | 4 | 10 | .400 | 11 | 14 | .786 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 31 | |
| 10 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2018-03-07 | 23-091 | MIL | HOU | L | 1 | 37:44 | 12 | 20 | .600 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | .667 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 30 | ||
| 10 | James Harden | 2018-03-07 | 28-193 | HOU | @ | MIL | W | 1 | 34:46 | 8 | 20 | .400 | 3 | 10 | .300 | 7 | 7 | 1.000 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 26 |
| Rk | Player | Date | Age | Tm | Opp | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | ||
| 11 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2019-01-09 | 24-034 | MIL | @ | HOU | W | 1 | 36:32 | 8 | 16 | .500 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 11 | 14 | .786 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 27 |
| 11 | James Harden | 2019-01-09 | 29-136 | HOU | MIL | L | 1 | 40:54 | 13 | 30 | .433 | 6 | 16 | .375 | 10 | 11 | .909 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 42 | |
| 12 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2019-03-26 | 24-110 | MIL | HOU | W | 1 | 32:40 | 7 | 15 | .467 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 5 | 7 | .714 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 19 | |
| 12 | James Harden | 2019-03-26 | 29-212 | HOU | @ | MIL | L | 1 | 37:55 | 9 | 26 | .346 | 1 | 9 | .111 | 4 | 5 | .800 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 23 |
| 13 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2019-10-24 | 24-322 | MIL | @ | HOU | W | 1 | 28:10 | 11 | 17 | .647 | 2 | 5 | .400 | 6 | 11 | .545 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 30 |
| 13 | James Harden | 2019-10-24 | 30-059 | HOU | MIL | L | 1 | 36:26 | 2 | 13 | .154 | 1 | 8 | .125 | 14 | 14 | 1.000 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 19 |
Both of them started off strong in their first seeding games with Giannis logging 36 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block in 32 minutes against Boston while Harden banked 49 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, and three steals in 43 minutes against Dallas.