Before leaving for a four-game road trip on the West Coast, the Bucks received the Wizards to try to wash away the affront of their heavy 36-point defeat, conceded against the Nuggets on Sunday evening.
If it was anything but simple, the defending champions still managed to have the franchise of the capital, at the cost of a “money-time” much better controlled than the teammates of Kyle Kuzma (25 points, 11 rebounds , 3 against), still orphaned by Bradley Beal.
Unstoppable in the second half, Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists) took the opportunity to score the 29th triple-double of his career, so as to ideally launch Milwaukee for his four perilous trips (Blazers, Clippers, Lakers and Suns).
For Washington, on the other hand, this is his sixth defeat in a row. And the calendar that is looming for the men of Wes Unseld Jr. clearly does not reassure them (Philadelphia, Phoenix, Miami then Brooklyn)…
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
— Giannis Antetokounmpo had to pull out the muscles. At first discreet, but complete, in the first half (8 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists), content to let his teammates do the job, the “Greek Freak” was forced to raise his voice after returning from the locker room . The Bucks in the hard, the double MVP activated the scorer mode, to first repel the opposing assaults. In the last act, it was then he who was responsible for waking up his troops, when the Wizards are (momentarily) passed in front. Almost on command, the franchise player therefore came out of its box to avoid a real snub to its own.
— Milwaukee as a boss in the “money-time”. Long in the lead in this meeting, the Bucks were however very close to being surprised in the last act. Martyred inside by Montrezl Harrell, who had taken over from an imperial Kyle Kuzma for three quarters, the defending champions let go of control for the first time in the game, before Giannis Antetokounmpo showed his teeth . Then, from 95-94, they iNFLicted a 17-4 “run” on Washington to conclude. Without panicking, Mike Budenholzer’s players played it from experience, with their Holiday/Middleton/Antetokounmpo trio.
— Kyle Kuzma, assumed leader of Washington. Among the few to survive at the Wizards, the 2020 champion took responsibility without Bradley Beal. Main offensive option of his team, “Kuz” did his best to allow his people not to be too far behind in the second and third quarters. From far and near or at mid-distance, he therefore ensured scoring, signing a big double-double. The icing on the cake: the former Lakers player behaved like a boss on the field and during time-outs, making his voice heard to remobilize his troops, long out of the game today.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis. The main lieutenants of Giannis Antetokounmpo were named Holiday (22 points) and Portis (17 points, 7 rebounds) today. In the first quarter, it was first inside the Bucks that allowed his team to take the game by the right end, scoring 9 of his 17 points in the period. In metronome, the leader of Milwaukee meanwhile gradually increased in temperature over the course of the game, in order to find his rhythm after halftime, to best support the “Greek Freak” when Khris Middleton was torn.
✅ Montrezl Harrell. Not to his advantage in the first half, like almost all his teammates, the 6th man of the year 2020 took advantage of the Bucks’ relaxation after the break to do a lot of work in the paint, martyring the defending champions’ racket. Confident in the shoot and aggressive as possible (a little too much, as when he was guilty of a flagrant on Giannis Antetokounmpo), the pivot of the Wizards finished with 20 points and 5 rebounds. Taking advantage of Thomas Bryant’s injury outing to put his nose to the window. A good omen, with the approach of the trade deadline…
⛔ Khris Middleton. Game to forget for the Bucks All-Star, unable to find his rhythm throughout the evening. Author of only 13 points, 4/12 on shots, he thus had a beautiful hole, leaving Giannis Antetokounmpo to fend for himself, like a grown-up, to repel the onslaught of the Wizards in the second half. A performance fortunately not detrimental this night, against an opponent within reach of Milwaukee, but that the Olympic gold medalist will have to avoid reproducing during the “road-trip” to the West of the defending champions.
⛔ Spencer Dinwiddie. After his comments this weekend, we necessarily expected more from the leader of the Wizards, in the absence of Bradley Beal. Limited to 7 points, only 2/9 on shots, the former Nets player was once again disappointed last night. If he certainly assured the rebound (7 takes) and the creation (9 assists), to support his interiors and feed a Kyle Kuzma in arsonist mode, Dinwiddie failed in scoring, while his team would obviously have seen with a good eye his usual fifteen points. Not enough to silence the transfer rumors surrounding him, so…
⛔ Thomas Bryant’s injury. Just recovered from his rupture of a cruciate ligament in his left knee, the pivot of the Wizards unfortunately had to leave his teammates at the start of the second half. On a resumption of support, and while he made himself available to receive the ball in attack, the 24-year-old player thus badly twisted his right ankle. He therefore quickly collapsed on the ground, never to come back into play afterwards. A setback for the one who had just regained his starting place in Washington…
THE FOLLOWING
Milwaukee (32-21) : trip to Portland, in the night from Saturday to Sunday (04:00).
Washington (23-27) : “back-to-back” in Philadelphia, this Wednesday evening (01:00).
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