Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 116-91 win over Brooklyn Nets

MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 26: (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 26: (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 26: (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 26: (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

With their star player back in the lineup, the Milwaukee Bucks won a convincing game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

There were story lines galore coming into Friday night’s matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, the second game of the post-Kidd era in Milwaukee.

The return of Giannis to the lineup, Malcolm Brogdon’s absence due to calf muscle soreness, and Sterling Brown’s recent late night encounter with law enforcement all added some intrigue to an otherwise routine night against an Eastern Conference cellar dweller.

As it turns out, the Greek Freak’s return trumped all on this occasion, as the Bucks beat the Nets handily. The Bucks jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and never trailed.

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A frigid first half of shooting from Brooklyn saw the Bucks go up big, and Milwaukee entered the second half leading 58-35. The Nets warmed up in the third, and closed the quarter on a D’Angelo Russell-fueled run to pull within nine.

Kenny Atkinson’s troupe continued to execute well on offense throughout most of the fourth quarter, and the Nets were within striking distance until all but the final few minutes.

Despite Milwaukee’s inability to put Brooklyn away early, the game appeared to be in their control throughout, and in this case the final score reflects the competitiveness of the game quite well.

It appears that having a few days off has been a good thing for Joe Prunty’s squad. Giannis had plenty of bounce, and the team appeared loose and lively.

The Bucks moved to 2-0 under the stewardship of their dapper new leader, and will attempt to make it 3-0 on Sunday against the Chicago Bulls. With Jabari Parker’s return also looming, Bucks fans could be forgiven for feeling downright excited about their favorite team’s outlook.

But, enough about the future. There were several notable takeaways from the easy win over the Nets, headlined by the outright dominance of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Before we get to that, how about that Bucks’ defense?