The Kings held off the Bucks for three quarters before taking the water at the end of the game under the onslaught of Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the collective of Sacramento still seduced with six players with more than ten points, the lack of impact of De’Aaron Fox and a failure in the defensive rebound cost them the meeting.
The Kings start with an 8-0 but the Bucks recover quickly. 21 points from the Antetokounmpo – Holiday pair and five offensive rebounds allow them to come back to score and take a five-point lead (34-29). The leader of the Bucks puts Fox under the extinguisher and thanks to him Milwaukee confirms (51-42). It takes the skill of Kevin Huerter and the aggressiveness of Malik Monk to keep the Kings in ambush, but at the break they are seven points behind (68-61).
A 3-pointer from Giannis Antetokounmpo put the Bucks at +12 at the start of the third quarter but three minutes later he was picked up for his fourth personal foul. With the Greek on the bench, Sacramento finds a second wind thanks to an omnipresent Domantas Sabonis. It takes all the efforts of Jrue Holiday to keep the Bucks in front (97-94).
Two winning shots in quick succession from Khris Middleton and Grayson Allen breathed new life into Milwaukee, before Giannis Antetokounmpo drove in the point to bring the gap to +12 (117-105). The Kings did not reveal themselves and saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– De’Aaron Fox at the Holiday ordeal. Jrue Holiday is reputed to be one of the best NBA defenders and De’Aaron Fox cannot say otherwise. The Bucks point guard was in pot mode to limit Fox to 5/16 on shots and limit his impact on Sacramento’s offense. Holiday also punished his direct opponent by relentlessly assaulting him to finish with 31 points, his second-highest total of the season.
– The Bucks’ harvest on offensive rebound. Skillful on the night, the Bucks also dominated the offensive rebound, catching 38% of their missed shots! If Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo are accustomed to the fact, many backs came to join the party with 7 offensive rebounds for the trio Grayson Allen – Jevon Carter – Pat Connaughton. A sector that made the difference against a less experienced Sacramento team.
– The Kings out of address outside. After a nice 9/21 (43%) from 3-pointers in the first half, the Kings lost their address in the second half. They only register 3 of their 10 attempts in the third quarter, followed by a 0 scored in the last period while the Bucks were diabolically accurate throughout the game (42%).
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jrue Holiday. The Bucks point guard has been his team’s metronome on both ends of the field. He stopped Fox, while finishing with 31 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.
✅ Giannis Antetokounmpo. Embarrassed by the faults, the Greek however dominated the Kings at each of his entries on the ground. He finished with 35 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in just 33 minutes.
✅ Domantas Sabonis. The pivot of the Kings continues his super season, and he floats this night to finish with a new double double (23 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists).
⛔ De’Aaron Fox. The Kings star couldn’t get rid of Jrue Holiday, he finished the game 5 out of 16 on shots and only two assists.
THE FOLLOWING
Milwaukee (18-6) : The Bucks travel to Dallas on Friday.
Sacramento (13-10): The Kings travel to Cleveland on Friday.
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