Milwaukee Bucks Grades and Reactions In 117-111 Loss To Houston Rockets

Reactions: The Good

• After Giannis’ career-high 25 point game on Wednesday night Jason Kidd said that number wouldn’t last very long. He was right. Two days later Giannis Antetokounmpo set a new career-high with 27 points. The way Giannis impacted the game goes much deeper than scoring and it starts with rebounding. Giannis pulled in fifteen rebounds while playing significant minutes at center. He waged battle with Donatas Motiejunas above the rim, his long arm extending through the outermost reaches of the earth’s atmosphere pulling loose balls out of orbit. His deft passes sliced though the fabric of time as his long strides tore Houston asunder.

OK. I’ll admit there’s a

little

hyperbole in those words…but not much. See for yourself (and remember to blink).

• The Bucks scored a whopping 60 points in the paint–taking full advantage of Dwight Howard’s absence. That’s indicative of great ball movement and players finishing at the rim. Giannis led the charge scoring fourteen points in the paint, with Henson adding twelve. Houston’s defense wasn’t exactly stellar, but that doesn’t take away from the impressive way Milwaukee consistently attacked the rim.

How about more Giannis? Thought so.

• Jorge Gutierrez may have played his way into a second 10-day contract. He hit all five of his shots and added a free throw to finish with thirteen points. Many Bucks fans were ready to write him off after his disastrous performance in Toronto and earning a DNP-CD against L.A. “The Chihuahua’s” last FG came on an impressive and-one high-arcing reverse layup that never hit the rim. Gutierrez ended the game as the only Milwaukee Bucks player with a positive +/- posting a +6.

Next: Reactions: The Bad