The Milwaukee Bucks (finally) clinched a playoff berth, escaping in Philadelphia behind a strong performance from an under the weather Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The three-game losing streak finally came to a halt as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the 76ers in Philadelphia on Saturday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo put up what might normally look like a typical Giannis night — 20 points, 10 boards, six assists, three steals, and two blocks — but he carried this team in spite of not feeling quite at his best.
The first half was another disappointing one for the Bucks. The teams traded blows in the first quarter, with the Bucks only leading by two at the end of it. The Bucks then let the Sixers get ahead of them in the second, going down by as much as 10, and ultimately leaving the half down six.
Thanks to the defense tightening up, as well as the Sixers missing some open shots, the Bucks climbed ahead in the third. They held the Sixers to only 12 points, and took a seven-point lead into the final quarter.
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The Sixers didn’t go away, but the game grew out of their reach, eventually concluding in a 90-82 Bucks win.
The Bucks have struggled while facing this lowly Philadelphia team, but split the season series with the win last night. Fans might have preferred a more convincing performance, but no one is arguing with the result, as the team secured their spot in the playoffs thanks to the Nets upsetting the Bulls earlier in the day.
With only two games left in the season, and any seed from eighth to fifth still in play for the Bucks, we’ll look at what went right, and what the Bucks will need to fix to finish out the season strong.