Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 121-98 win over Detroit Pistons
![MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 1: (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 1: (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/8a96bfcbe745820adb5edd279060e326dcd7ce74076025bd8e483ff1e6a2a501.jpg)
Splash down
One night after the ball dropped in Times Square to usher in 2019, veteran Bucks big man Brook Lopez dropped several long balls to ring in the new year in the only way he could in the Bucks’ win over the Pistons Tuesday night.
Playing over 30 minutes of action, Lopez finished with a team-high 25 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field (7-of-12 from three), three rebounds, two blocks, one turnover and was a +15 on the night.
Lopez’s touch from long distance was on point from the beginning of the game as his first attempt and make served as the Bucks’ first points on the night. That set the tone for the rest of the first quarter for the Stanford alum as he connected on his next three attempts, including one coming off a stunning step-back splash.
While he cooled off in both the second and third quarters, Lopez came back with a vengeance in the final period of the night by hitting three straight treys and came within one more triple of matching his single game season high for made three-pointers as well as his single game scoring high this year.
When it was all said and done, Lopez’s seven three-pointers propped up the Bucks’ overall shooting night from downtown as they collectively made just 10 threes on the night. Not only that, but Lopez made some history by being the first seven-foot player to hit seven threes in back-to-back games, as the Bucks themselves tweeted out on social media following the win.
The first center in the NBA History to make 7 threes in back to back games!! (Via @StatsBySTATS)#FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/Fa4l5b2Gaf
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 2, 2019
Beyond his impressive three-point showing, Lopez supplied his usual stout defending of the rim and even had a couple of impressive rejections throughout the night on an unsuspecting Bruce Brown.