Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: Jan. 23 vs Houston Rockets
By Ti Windisch
Major Key For Milwaukee: Defend The Arc
The Bucks were competitive early in their last game against the Rockets because Milwaukee’s starters did a great job of meeting the Rockets at the three-point line on defense. The Bucks led by five after the first period, mostly because they were forcing misses from deep and taking the rebounds back the other way.
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The Rockets haven’t been terrible defensively, but they’re not equipped to handle lots of transition defense after their missed bombs from deep. No team is really ready to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo galloping down the floor and getting from halfcourt to the rim in what feels like a step and a half.
Houston does a good job of scoring inside too, but those threes are always the worry here. The Rockets take exactly 40.0 three-point attempts per game, which is a ridiculous number. However unprecedented it is, that style of play is perfect for Houston.
By chasing the Rockets off of the arc, it throws off their game a little. James Harden and company won’t just roll over and die, but Houston is a lot more beatable when they’re uncomfortable than when they’re firing away and nailing deep threes.