Bench pressed
The Bucks’ bench unit has increasingly come into focus just as the team’s winning streak keeps on rising with the string of routs they continue to pile up.
But no performance will be more impactful than the Bucks’ bench mob collectively put together, which was felt immediately when head coach Mike Budenholzer turned to his bench midway through the first quarter. It was Pat Connaughton who broke open the Bucks’ three-point shooting drought and ended his 21 minutes of burn going 5-for-5 from the field (2-for-2 from three) to finish with 11 points.
Donte DiVincenzo had to lean on his ability to get to the free throw line, where he connected on all six of his free throw attempts, to boost his 11-point performance. But the 22-year-old continues to be an absolute monster defensively as his ability to strike in help situations and break through in passing lanes shines even greater with each passing game.
Tallying a season-high four steals, DiVincenzo’s hustle for every loose ball that hits the floor only rivals every time former Bucks player Tony Snell sees a teammate down on the court.
Lastly, Ersan Ilyasova matched his season-high 13 points on 11 shots and really galvanized the Bucks as he was able to pour it on the Clippers late in the third quarter, thanks to his ability to put down point-blank finishes at the basket with little to no resistance. All of that ended with the Bucks’ bench mob finishing with 50 points as a whole.
The Bucks will look to take their streak to 15 games when they take on the Orlando Magic, who they will host on Monday night for a 7pm CT tip-off at Fiserv Forum.