Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 99-95 win over Detroit Pistons

Creating chaos

As has been the case over their previous three wins, the Bucks’ defense was operating about as well as you could expect it to on Wednesday night. Even the Pistons’ final point total of 95 doesn’t tell the whole story, as Detroit got hot from three in the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee forced 18 turnovers, including 10 in the first half, and blocked a whopping 16 shots, two fewer than their franchise record. Even when the Pistons weren’t throwing the ball away or getting rejected, the Bucks managed to contest almost every shot, holding Detroit to 15-of-50 (30 percent) shooting from two-point range.

Any advantage the Pistons had, whether it was the size of Andre Drummond or the penetrating abilities of Reggie Jackson, Milwaukee met with a sea of outstretched arms and quick feet.

They swarmed the court with a frenetic energy that just hadn’t been there in previous weeks. The Bucks’ scheme has drawn rightful criticism before, but there’s no doubt it accomplishes its goal of chaos when executed correctly.

Perhaps this effort was a result of Milwaukee’s available personnel. With Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic out of action and D.J. Wilson playing just two minutes, the Bucks’ eight-man rotation doesn’t really have an obvious defensive liability for opponents to attack.

Whatever the case may be, the Bucks are a tough team to beat when they’re making their opposition’s lives so difficult on offense.