Milwaukee comes back from the All-Star break with a win
In the first game back since the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks toppled the Los Angeles Clippers, 116-110. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 23 points while Kawhi Leonard’s 25 points registered as a game-high.
In his pre-game presser, Doc Rivers mentioned that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard would both be active but with a minutes restriction. Dame played the entire first quarter while Giannis played just five. Neither of them brought scoring early on, as Kyle Kuzma’s nine points led the way for the Bucks. He also hit a half-courter as time expired, slicing the Clippers’ lead to just a point at 29-28 after a quarter of play.
Milwaukee would gain some momentum from the big man around the midway of the second quarter, as Brook Lopez’s drained a pair of threes. Those shots helped catapult the Bucks back in front. For good measure, he’d hit another fading three later on. Those threes were monumental in the Bucks seizing control with a 57-50 lead at half.
Turnovers began to really dismantle Milwaukee in the third quarter. Sloppiness defined the frame, with Los Angeles’ defense frustrating the Bucks on what seemed to be every possession. Through three quarters, Los Angeles had forced 15 turnovers, which was the leading ingredient in them securing an 89-80 advantage going into the fourth.
Giannis really began to come alive in the fourth quarter, leading the way for Milwaukee to get right back in the thick of things. In fact, a timely run by the Bucks gave them a five-point advantage with two minutes left in regulation. A Taurean Prince 3-pointer with a minute to go then served as the dagger in this one, putting Milwaukee well on the path to a 116-110 victory.
Stat That Stood Out
There were a lot of timely shots in this one, but Brook Lopez was big from beyond the perimeter. On a night where Damian Lillard struggled to find his shot, he stepped up in a big way, connecting on four threes. It seemed that each one he hit was bigger than the last. When the Bucks needed him, he was able to step up in a big way on the offensive end, finishing with 22 points.
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