Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 120-112 win over New York Knicks

Bucks’ offense breaks through

Milwaukee’s 120 point night was very welcome, after several games in which the offense has looked a little lost. They shot over 56 percent from the floor against New York, and enjoyed a number of efficient scoring efforts from key contributors.

Khris Middleton’s steady play was a boon for the offense. The former Aggie finished with a game-high 30 points on a tidy 11-of-16 from the floor, and boosted his efficiency by shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. The Bucks’ forward went a very encouraging 2-of-4 from behind the arc in the second half.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had an inconsistent first half, but thanks to an amazing effort in the second half he tallied 28 points (7-of-15 from the floor, 14-of-18 on free throws). He was relatively shy with his jump shot, frequently driving into and through Knicks defenders, and getting rewarded with numerous trips to the charity stripe.

Scoring from the bench was led by Jabari Parker (5-of-8 for 12 points), the aforementioned Zeller, and Sterling Brown (3-of-5 for 11 points).

Parker looks great shooting the ball. His form really exudes confidence, and it seems like he’s getting great lift. Clearly the former Blue Devil can score in a lot of ways, and on Friday he mixed it up with jumpers, aggressive forays to the basket, and abbreviated drives turned into floaters.

On the other hand, Sterling Brown only attempted shots from beyond the arc. The precocious rookie shot five three-pointers and made three of them. That’s it. While he’s shown some ability to drive and finish, this seems like a near ideal shooting line for Brown, who appears to have the makeup of a classic 3-and-D wing.