Milwaukee Bucks: Grades from 117-100 win over Utah Jazz

A-. Eric Bledsoe came out strong again on Saturday night, scoring at least 20 points for the third straight game. In his 35 minutes he had an efficient 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, and he led the team with three steals. Bledsoe’s work at the point of attack helped the defense, which is still adjusting to the tweaks that have been implemented. It’s encouraging to see Bledsoe taking more threes as of late, and even more encouraging that he made 3-of-6. Bledsoe’s continued success behind the arc will be instrumental to this team taking the next step offensively, and opening the floor for Giannis to devastate teams at the basket.. Guard. Milwaukee Bucks. ERIC BLEDSOE

GARY PAYTON II. C. Once again starting for Snell was Payton II. Payton benefited from spending almost all of his time with the starting unit, and the team outscored the Jazz by 20 points while he was on the floor. He didn’t hurt the team, and played his usual reliable defense, but he was a non-factor on offense, scoring twice on the night for four points, and taking five shots in total. The team will be far better off once Tony Snell, third in the league in three-point shooting, comes back.. Guard. Milwaukee Bucks

KHRIS MIDDLETON. A+. Khris Middleton started the game out strong, scoring nine points in the first quarter. While he did have an uncharacteristically high amount of fouls (5) — something that helped the Jazz get to the line 37 times — he also scored 20 points on just 13 shots, and grabbed five boards and five assists along the way. His plus/minus of +23 led the team, despite being tasked with the responsibility of leading the units without Giannis, playing all nine minutes Giannis didn’t. Middleton, infamous for his slow starts to the season, has been great so far this December, putting up 23/4/4 on 60/57/96 shooting.. Guard/Forward. Milwaukee Bucks

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO. A. We see it game after game from Giannis, and he almost never fails to impress. Giannis Antetokounmpo was thrilling with 37 points, including massive dunks and an impressive turnaround three with the shot clock fading in the fourth quarter. He also got 13 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. He made 14-of-22 from the field, and only missed one free throw. He did look a little slow on defense to start the game, but came around and was as sharp as ever to help the team maintain the lead.. Forward. Milwaukee Bucks

B-. The best thing about <a rel=. Center. Milwaukee Bucks. JOHN HENSON