Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 127-120 loss to LA Clippers

Offense without Giannis

When it was reported Giannis would not return to the game, the immediate short-term question became how Milwaukee would respond without their superstar.

The answer was a balanced three-headed attack of Parker, Bledsoe, and Khris Middleton with good results.

In the second half, Parker shot 7-of-10 for 16 points. Bledsoe recorded 17 points after just two in the first half, shooting 6-of-11. Middleton added 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, ultimately finishing with 23 total points.

Putting together a 120.2 offensive rating in the second half, the offense was not a problem.

However, 16 of the 63 points in the second half came on fast breaks, suggesting the strong offensive efficiency was not necessarily the result of a flowing half-court offense. Structurally, the half-court offense did indeed look stagnant at times,

Antetokounmpo’s presence was missed, in particular his ability to draw additional defenders and generate open threes for teammates, a sight that occurred less often following his departure. It seemed like Milwaukee was trading two-pointers for three-pointers as a result, as they shot only 3-of-11 from behind the arc in the second half.

Nevertheless, the players ought to be credited for stepping up in Antetokounmpo’s absence and not missing a beat. It was especially a welcome sight to see Parker handle a strong offensive load, hitting mid-range jumpers and bullying his way around the rim.