RECAP
Milwaukee Bucks continue hot streak with emphatic win against short-handed Orlando Magic. After a back-and-forth start to the game, Milwaukee took a 20-point lead and never faltered after that. Winning their second game of a back-to-back by a massive margin, thanks to 56 combined points from the duo of Giannis Antetokoumpo and Damian Lillard.
The Bucks started slow to kick off the game, trading buckets with the Magic until the end of the first quarter when the offense erupted. Taurean Prince who replaced Khris Middleton in the starting lineup hit a patented corner three to start the scoring run for Milwaukee. He has been exactly the type of “3 and D” wing that the Bucks have needed, giving solid three-point production and solid spacing on the defensive end. Even with Middleton moving to the bench he has been productive and showed so in this game with 14 points, 6 assists, and even snagging 2 steals. The team as a whole managed to shoot 58% from three and a whopping 63% from the field, most of that coming from the dynamic duo of Dame and Giannis.
The stars were shining bright tonight as Lillard and Antetokoumpo combined for 56 points to help push the Bucks past the Magic. With a chance to move to the fourth seed on the line Wednesday, the duo of Giannis and Dame could not be stopped. Whether it was the mid-range game, playmaking, or on defense the two put up astronomical numbers: Antetokoumpo notching yet another double-double on the season with a 26-point and 11-rebound game. Lillard on the other hand had 30 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals, a very complete game for the king of clutch shots. The two also had plus minuses of positive 25 or over, shooting 58% from the field. Its dominant production like this has brought Milwaukee back into striking range of that third seed, continuing their hot streak.
ANALYSIS
The improvement of chemistry between Antetokounmpo and Lillard is not being talked about enough. While they’ve had several games like this on the season, this was just another example to highlight the steps they’ve taken from last season to this one.
The two have improved on almost every aspect of their games to start the season, with Dame leveling out higher in every shot category after an off-year last year. Lillard this season is averaging 25 points per game, 45% from the field, and 39% from the three-point line. Comfortability in the offense is a factor, but he just seems so much more confident in himself and his abilities, more than likely due to the improved play of Giannis as well. Antetokounmpo is seeing improved scoring numbers, rebounding, and defensive numbers compared to last season. Averaging 31.3 points per game (second in the NBA), nearly 12 rebounds per game (sixth in the NBA), and 1.4 blocks per game on the defensive end. Giannis and Dame now have a 19-14 record when playing together this season and if the Bucks keep up their hot streak, the wins will continue to stack up.
Another factor of this win was the defense, not allowing the Magic to get into an offensive rhythm drove the game home for the Bucks The team as a whole ended the game with 20 “stocks” (10 steals and 10 blocks) and were able to rebound a generally good board-crashing team 49-32 which exacerbated the lead for Orlando. It was another night that was kicked off to a big lead on the Magic, unlike the last game though it was due to the defense holding the Paolo Banchero-lead squad to 16 first-quarter points. Milwaukee Coach Doc Rivers had this to say about the massive lead to start the game.
“I thought our guys had unbelievable focus,” Replied Coach Rivers. “You could feel it before the game, but that didn’t mean you were going to play well, but they did.”
UPCOMING
The Bucks were able to leapfrog the Magic in the standings, they’ll need to keep up their defensive effort to hold onto that spot with multiple Eastern Conference squads surging. The Milwaukee Bucks have clawed their way back up to the fourth seed and are looking to get closer to that third seed in the next coming weeks.
The next match on the schedule for the Milwaukee squad will be against the Toronto Raptors who upset the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Raptors have yet to even be close in a game against the Bucks, however, when this young team is in rhythm they can be challenging to slow down. Currently, the only Raptor on the injury list is their starting point guard Immanuel Quickly who has been in and out of the lineup with injury designations multiple times this season. However, the Bucks may be a little short-handed on defensive wings with both Andre Jackson and Gary Trent both dealing with similar hip injuries. They will need all the help they can get against Toronto with their talented wing duo of Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett both averaging over 20 points per game. The Raptors as a team only have 10 wins on the season, (3rd worst in ECF) but that still doesn’t hold the team back from energetic play and giving good teams a scare.
