Jabari Parker notched a new career high of 36 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had another triple double, and Khris Middleton scored a tidy 30 points as the Bucks held on to beat the Houston Rockets 128-121.
Imagine every feeling of bitter disappointment over the Bucks underwhelming season melting away in one 48 minute tour de force. That’s what it felt like watching the Milwaukee Bucks run away from the Houston Rockets Monday night.
Jabari Parker scored 36, Khris Middleton scored 30, and Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied his second triple double in one week. Indeed, the Bucks deftly reminded fans of their seemingly limitless future.
It starts with Giannis Antetokounmpo running the point. By putting the ball in Giannis’ hands at the top of the key the Bucks free up the lane area and both baselines, allowing much more organic offensive flow.
Against the Rockets that resulted in Jabari Parker, with the lane largely vacated by Giannis playing at the top of the key, being able to find seams in the leaky Rockets defense.
He used those lanes to score a career high 36 points. But Parker didn’t just make great cuts all night, he also shot 4-8 on jumpers including 1-1 on three point attempts.
Yes, you read that right–he’s coming around. But that’s not exactly news, he’s scoring over 15 a game in February and has been fire since the All-Star break. What may come as news to fans is that he’s now taking and making jumpers at a reasonably consistent clip.
Could Giannis’ new-found acumen at point guard be responsible for Jabari’s recent surge? Probably. The two share a palpable chemistry.
And as the two anchors of the Bucks future, for better or for worse, the Bucks fortunes are tethered to their development.
Monday night was a glimpse into the future–a welcome reprieve from the reality of a lost season and a reassuring demonstration to fans that the Bucks future is indeed as bright as ever.
As always we offer vines (there were a few), Milwaukee Bucks grades and reactions from an entertaining home victory over the Houston Rockets.
Next: Reactions: The Good