Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 109-104 win over Charlotte Hornets
By Adam Coffman
The Marquee Three get it done
After combining for 71 points in the win over Cleveland, the trio of Eric Bledsoe, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton again provided most of the scoring punch for the Bucks on Friday night, totaling 78 of the team’s 109 points.
Shooting a combined 5-for-17 from three-point range, each player had to turn to alternative means to get their points. For Middleton, this meant an array of pull-up jumpers and post fadeaways, often after being switched onto the smaller Walker.
For Bledsoe and Antetokounmpo, this meant a steady diet of ball penetration and transition opportunities, with some work as the roll man thrown in for Giannis. These two combined to earn 18 free throws on the way, making 14 of them.
One thing that stood out from this game as opposed to the Cavaliers victory — while Middleton led the team with 10 assists earlier in the week, it was Bledsoe who took over most of the facilitating duties this time, chipping in his own 10 dimes against the Hornets.
Not only can opponents not key in on a single Milwaukee scoring option, they can’t even predict who will be the one to involve secondary threats in the action.