Carmelo Anthony has killed ‘Linsanity’ in New York, but over in Milwaukee ‘Ersanity’ is reigning supreme.
In his last three games, Ersan Ilyasova has averaged 29.6 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Bucks and in his last 10, he’s been averaging a double-double with 19.4 points and 10 boards.
It seems like he has been given more freedom to do what he does best, and it’s the now revived ability to be more aggressive inside, plus, dragging bigger defenders out to the perimeter – and whereas those players are reluctant – he is comfortable and the 6’10 Turkish forward has been draining open triples.
He also crashes the boards well, it looks like he’s got more confidence in the key and is rediscovering the form that he showed for Turkey in the 2010 world championships, where they won the silver medal.
Ilyasova’s stats have risen this year considerably and last night in a 105-99 win against the Toronto Raptors, he reached a career-high in minutes played (44).
“I was really tired in the third quarter. I just tried to keep on going,” Ilyasova said following the win in Toronto. Milwaukee were short-handed in the game and the big Turk was leading from the front.
Ilyasova’s performance was that of a true leader. He refused to stop, no matter how weary he was becoming and even though he looked physically drained in the fourth, he continued on and played throughout, only sitting for four minutes in the entire contest.
“In the fourth quarter, I was looking at the clock and there were still six minutes left,” he said. “I just said, ‘We can make it. Just stick with the plan.'”
From averaging just over nine points for his career, Ilyasova is now reaching figures of 12.4, and his numbers have gone up in assists, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage in the shortened 66-game season.
The forward was one-point shy of equalling his career-high in points, which he set just a week ago against Chicago and Bucks’ coach Scott Skiles called his most recent performance “huge”.
“We were short-handed and I couldn’t really get him a blow,” Skiles said. “I has to keep him out there. He did what he’s been doing all year. He made his jumper, made his shots around the basket, he was on the boards. Another productive night for him.”
Ilyasova also recorded figures of two steals and an assist in the win in Canada. It was Milwaukee’s sixth straight win over the Raptors and puts them closely in the mix for the eighth and final seed for the playoffs which is currently held by New York, who have slumped to six defeats in their last eight games since Carmelo Anthony’s return from injury.
Productive is becoming the main bulletpoint for Ilyasova, as he is doing what Jeremy Lin did so famously for the Knicks, who were 7-1 in the ‘Linsanity’ era. He’s taking advantage of an opportunity given to him.
For a Milwaukee side that focused on Brandon Jennings as its franchise player, they now have someone else they can look to.
‘Ersanity’ is taking over.
