Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 113-112 win over Charlotte Hornets

The triple effect

The big theme throughout the Bucks’ preseason, that being their three-point awakening under Coach Bud and his staff, carried over for the majority of the night in the Bucks’ win over the Hornets.

The Bucks came out firing from downtown as they connected on seven of their first 11 attempts throughout the period, and Antetokounmpo’s aforementioned mastery in picking out open shooters helped immensely in that regard to fuel their 36-point first quarter.

It was to be expected that the Bucks would regress to the mean from that point on in the night. But what stood out was how much the Bucks moved away from that element of their game, which was helped in part by the tactical and lineup adjustments Hornets coach James Borrego enacted during the tilt.

On the night, the Bucks sported eight different players who made at least one three as they finished 14-of-34 from long distance.

Of note, it was encouraging to see rookie Donte DiVincenzo chip in a couple of makes from that level of the floor, considering his shooting struggles in Summer League and during the preseason only raised questions as to how well he’d adjust to the NBA three-point line.

As evidenced by how the game shook out overall, there will be some growing pains on the Bucks’ part as they acclimate to the new system. But again, the mere process of the Bucks’ creation of three-point looks was enough to feel encouraged by, even as their results diminished as the night progressed.