Closing time
It was far from a complete performance from the Bucks and there was just a general malaise that was seeping into their play on the court throughout the first half. A four-game road trip out West spanning three time zones and seven days will certainly do that before Antetokounmpo broke out a crane kick on an unassuming barrier in a tunnel inside Chesapeake Energy Arena going into halftime.
But the Bucks managed to sweep away the concerns with their second half awakening and after the Thunder gave the Bucks plenty of fight all throughout the night, the Bucks holding a 11-point lead with just over two minutes to go in the fourth looked to have sealed the deal.
However, that was far from the truth and their ensuing late-game meltdown unsettled all Bucks fans before Brook Lopez put down that dagger triple and both Eric Bledsoe and George Hill cashed in a pair of free throws to give the Bucks a needed cushion to secure the victory.
Getting the win to close out a long road trip will always feel nice, especially going against a slate of opponents that ranged from respectable (i.e. the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Thunder) to contenders in the West (i.e. LA Clippers, Utah Jazz). But what won’t feel good is the execution the Bucks lacked for stretches late and their season-high 22 turnovers is indicative of that.
Needless to say, three days worth of rest couldn’t have come at a better time for this Bucks team and hopefully the troublesome signs we saw throughout Sunday night remain a blip.