RECAP
The Milwaukee Bucks turn back time on the young San Antonio Spurs winning 121-105 at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday. It was a team effort to stop the rising star Victor Wembanayama. Still, with a change of pace and excellent defensive adjustments, the Bucks were able to pull off a statement win against the Spurs after having a bad stretch of games to kick off the new year.
It was a close affair after the buzzer on the first quarter sounded, with the score favoring the Bucks over the Spurs 31-27. But the second quarter separated the teams to the point of no return, Milwaukee out-scoring San Antonio by 15 points going into halftime (19-34). Giving the Bucks a whopping 65-46 lead; an advantage that they would not lose the rest of the game. With the Bucks’ defensive struggles plaguing them through much of this year, it was almost a complete 180 from how they’ve played the Nets and Blazers the last couple of games.
Before the game, Coach Doc Rivers of the Bucks started the transition from Khris Middleton to the bench after having multiple private conversations with Middleton as well as most of the coach staff, they concluded that the move would be in the best interest of the team moving forward. Considering how they played this youthful San Antonio team tonight, I would have to say this is what the Bucks have been missing. Continuity in the starting lineup. The 16-point victory over the up-and-coming Spurs may get overlooked, but this could be a turning point for this Bucks squad who have been in a lull to start the new year.
ANALYSIS
The defensive presence and youth factor were all on full display tonight as the Bucks held feature star Victor Wembanyama to just 10 points. The Spurs were unable to produce consistent shooting through much of the night as Milwaukee defenders clogged up passing lanes and stifled the offensive flow for San Antonio.
Throughout much of this NBA season, you may have heard of this second-year player known to most as “Wemby.” It turns out that guy is extremely good at basketball and has the chance to etch his name in history if he keeps up the momentum he’s having in his career. However, tonight was not a night to remember if you’re Wembanyama, being held to a pedestrian 10 points on 40% from the field (33% from three). While he was his usual self on the defensive side of the ball; with 5 stocks (steals and blocks) and 10 total rebounds, he was being stymied by the defensive adjustments that Coach Rivers had for the 7 ‘4 big man.
“Yeah, I just thought that we were really physical defensively all night.”// “You just have to play that way against him or he (Victor Wembanyama) will kill you and if not him then CP (Chris Paul, starting PG).”
Replied Coach Doc Rivers in response to how well the Bucks played defensively this game.
Even though Chris Paul is in the twilight years of his career he can still be a threat offensively, especially as a consistent playmaker. Tonight he was the second leading scorer of the Spurs with 18 points on a scorching hot 83% from three, he also added seven assists to that scorecard to round out his night. As for the Milwaukee Bucks, the combo of “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokoumpo and “Dame” Damian Lillard totaled a combined 51 points. Antetokoumpo is just 2 assists shy from a second consecutive triple-double along with a team-high 16 rebounds. The stars were out tonight for Milwaukee as they made a statement with a win over one of the hottest young teams in the league.
UPCOMING
With the strong win over the Spurs, the Milwaukee Bucks will have a tough stretch of games that span from coast to coast.
On Friday at 6 PM (CST), the Bucks will face the Magic in Orlando in a matchup that could see the return of Paolo Banchero. Banchero hasn’t played since first getting injured on Oct. 30th. The Magic will play the Bucks on the second night of a “back-to-back”, meaning there’s a solid chance that if he plays against the Timberwolves the night before that he won’t be playing against Milwaukee. Which would be a major break for the Bucks as that Magic team with Banchero is better than most in the league.
With Milwaukee’s schedule ahead, the Bucks will need as many breaks as they can get. Taking on the Knicks, Kings (have won five straight), Magic (again), and then Philadelphia in just the next two weeks. The Bucks will have a relatively easier schedule after this stretch but will need to keep focus as they still sit in a volatile spot as the 5th seed in the East. Still, at 19-16, the Bucks hope to add to their win total and make their way back into the upper echelon of the standings. But as I stated in my last article, this Bucks team plays much better with Khris being that second facilitator and scorer off the bench. If they can continue their consistent shooting, with this depth, physicality, and experience; they will be an extremely hard team to shut down in the playoffs.
