Bucks Gaming consolidate strong start with week two split

Game 1 – Pistons GT

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, understandably, seemed to be the approach for Bucks Gaming heading into this game. After two wins from two in week one, the Bucks opted for the same starting lineup against Pistons GT, in terms of personnel and archetypes.

PG- SlayIsland (Sharpshooting Playmaker)

SG- Chaddynick (Pure Lockdown Defender)

SF- ARooks (Shot Creating Sharpshooter)

PF- BigMeek (Slashing Stretch 4)

C- Plondo (Pure Glass Cleaner)

Pistons GT hadn’t exactly garnered much attention early in the season, but a red-hot start with back-to-back triples as part of a wider 5-of-5 opening from the field for Detroit certainly set the table for them to change that narrative in this game.

For the Bucks, the first quarter saw Milwaukee rely on SlayIsland to drive the offense from the point guard position. He was up to the task too, as he delivered a nine-point period, before ARooks finally got on the scoreboard with a reverse layup to beat the buzzer at the end of the quarter.

Milwaukee opened the second quarter with a 22-21 lead, but that was quickly taken away from them as Pistons GT responded with back-to-back dunks. After a relatively quiet first quarter, BigMeek picked things up with a couple of made threes in the second period to give the Bucks some life. Still, with uncharacteristic struggles from ARooks, who was 0-of-3 from deep at the half, the Pistons carried a 39-34 lead into the interval.

As the third quarter opened, ARooks sprung to life, making it clear his team were not going to relinquish their perfect record without a fight. ARooks drilled a three to open the half, before following it up with a long fadeaway two to tie the game up. Even as ARooks and BigMeek started to hit their stride, though, Pistons rookie Jaacko was leaving his mark on the game. In his first action since arriving from New Zealand, Jaacko demonstrated good three-point shooting and a strong eye as a playmaking wing to give the Pistons a 55-53 edge heading into the last.

In spite of the best efforts of BigMeek, the fourth quarter ultimately belonged to Jaacko too. The Kiwi came up with a variety of clutch shots before hitting a dagger triple to extend his team’s lead to 12. To their credit, Bucks Gaming didn’t give up as Chaddynick drained three, before coming up with a steal and assisting to ARooks.

Still, it was too little too late as Pistons GT prevailed 76-68, consigning Bucks Gaming to their first loss of the regular season.