A 20-5 in the first quarter gives Milwaukee the best start (27-16). The size of the Bucks, in particular of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis, hurts the Warriors and the latter receive three technical fouls (Poole, Curry, Kerr) for whistles they consider forgotten on award-winning shots (38-27).
Unable to score in the paint, the Warriors rely on their outside address. They are 5 out of 7 in the first five minutes of the quarter to return to -7 (49-42). The Bucks regain some air but a former green house, Donte DiVincenzo, continues to make the powder speak from afar. Add to that six lost balls and Golden State returns to -6 (58-52).
The Warriors’ efforts, however, were shattered in three minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo, so far clumsy, instigated a 6-0 Bucks in the last minute of halftime, followed by a 5-0 back from the locker room to put Milwaukee at +17 (69-52)! Behind a masterful Brook Lopez in the protection of the circle and the Warriors who lose their address from afar, the Bucks confirm and the gap climbs at high speed V (85-59). With a game up in Indiana, Steve Kerr opened his bench early in the final quarter as the Bucks reacted well after their surprise loss to the Rockets.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– A big advantage for the Bucks. With Brook Lopez, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis, the Bucks can count on four tall and long jigs. The latter made their presence felt against much smaller Warriors especially in the absence of Andrew Wiggins. The Bucks dictated their law near the circle throughout the evening. The Warriors were 13/35 in the racket for 30 points scored against 25/36 and 48 points for the Bucks! Brook Lopez, number one at their American bookmakers in the race for the title of defender of the year, achieves a flawless performance by his placement and his defensive activity.
– No Jrue Holiday, no problem! Their leader sick and absent this night, the Bucks relied on the trio Jevon Carter – Wesley Matthews – Grayson Allen to harass Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, and Klay Thompson. With the exception of a few boxes on Curry, the Bucks trusted their basic defensive strategy: pressure on the ball carrier; passing over the screens; priority to defensive withdrawal; Lopez on sentry. Away from the ball, they were rigorous not to give space to opposing shooters. The three Warriors finished the match at 18/50 on shots (36%), all weighed down by 7 loose balls and 2 technical fouls.
– Trigger-friendly referees. As far too often this season, the referees wanted to steal the spotlight from the players. Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry each received severe technical fouls as they called for a foul in the first quarter. They were followed closely by Steve Kerr. In the space of five minutes in the second half, they added three more technical fouls, one for Giannis Antetokounmpo who took too long on the free-throw line, one for Andre Iguodala, present on the bench in civilian clothes, and one to Mike Budenholzer with his team at +23. This festival ended with a 7th technical foul for Jonathan Kuminga at the start of the last quarter. Between walks, ball carries and technical faults, the refereeing corps has been zealous since the start of the season!
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ ⛔ Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek was clumsy (9/26 on shots) but he still finished the game with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.
✅ Khris Middleton – Bobby Portis. Present despite a sprained ankle in the last game, Middleton found his best level with 20 points on 13 shots. Portis added 25 points on 73% shooting and 11 rebounds off the bench.
✅ Brook Lopez. His statistics (7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks) are not obvious, but the Bucks pivot was dominant in defense throughout the game, closing access to the circle and forcing the Warriors to take difficult shots and / or midway.
✅ ⛔ Stephen Curry. The Warriors star scored 12 of his 20 points in the third quarter but he never found his rhythm against Milwaukee’s aggressive defense. He finished at 6/17 on shots.
⛔ The Poole–Thompson duo. 12 out of 33 on shots for the two backs with largely negative +/-.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (14-14) : the Warriors continue in back-to-back in Indiana
Milwaukee (20-7): The Bucks travel to Memphis on Thursday.
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