The historic 18 game winning streak that the Milwaukee Bucks were on came to an end on Monday. Eric Bledsoe‘s absence was a major reason why their winning run came to a halt.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ second longest winning streak in franchise history came to an end at Fiserv Forum at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
Though they almost clawed their way back in shocking fashion in the game’s final minutes, the Bucks were deservedly beaten by a stellar Mavericks team who put in one of the best two-way performances of any team Milwaukee has faced thus far this season.
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The defeat may have come as a bit of surprise, especially given that Dallas was without their star, and league MVP contender, Luka Doncic. However, with the benefit of hindsight, it shouldn’t have been given Eric Bledsoe’s absence for the Bucks.
The Eastern Conference leaders struggled without their starting point guard, especially on the offensive end of the floor. They had trouble creating anything at the rim except for when Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to drive. That seriously affected the rhythm and flow of the offense, and helped contribute to the uneven performance we saw.
The Bucks inability to find a second player who could create on drives, or finish at the rim, was costly. They were forced to take a lot of jump shots, particularly in the minutes where Antetokounmpo sat. With everyone, except Kyle Korver, unable to hit those shots, they found themselves on the receiving end of some lopsided runs by the Mavs. Those runs ultimately proved to be too much for the team to overcome.
Bledsoe was also missed on the defensive end of the floor. Jaylen Brunson and Seth Curry had excellent nights. The former ran his former college teammate, Donte DiVincenzo, ragged which was able to draw the Bucks’ defense out of position on several possessions. He made the most of those chances by having some incredible assists.
Curry, on the other hand, got red hot from the field, especially from distance. His late game scoring was what put Dallas out of reach. George Hill and DiVincenzo were unable to pour cold water on his run.
Milwaukee sorely missed Bledsoe on Monday night. Though he’s drawn the ire of many because of his uneven playoff performances, there’s no doubt that Bledsoe has been a pivotal part of why the team has been one of the league’s best in each of the past two regular seasons.
His drives to the rim, and his excellent cuts off the ball, create a lot of the Bucks’ offense, especially when Antetokounmpo is not utilized on a possession. When he’s hitting his jumpers on top of that, which he has been of late, he’s extremely difficult to guard.
His defense, particularly when he’s at his best, is also top notch. There are few guards in the league that are able to completely stifle their opponents on defense. Bledsoe is one of those few.
With an extremely difficult run of games awaiting them, the Bucks will have to find a way to pick up the slack in his absence. We’ll see if they can find other ways to excel without him.