Milwaukee Bucks: Last three losses share common theme

With a league-best record of 41-7, the Milwaukee Bucks have been impressing with their winning ways all year. Regardless, their three most recent losses all share a familiar pattern, which is the opposing team hitting a season-high number in three-pointers.

When the Milwaukee Bucks fall to a rare defeat, it’s usually not that hard to put your finger on what’s gone wrong. Over the Bucks’ last three losses, this has been even more apparent than usual, though.

The first of these losses for the Milwaukee Bucks came on Christmas day against the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia hit 21 out of 44 three-pointers, a stellar 47.7 percent on their way to a 122-109 statement win. Those 21 makes from deep as a team are not only the most made by a team playing on Christmas Day, but were also a 76ers’ franchise record.

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This entire game seemed discombobulated as Giannis Antetokounmpo shot a vile 8-of-27 from the floor and scored just 18 points in 30 minutes. Milwaukee did hit a decent 39.4 percent of their own three-point attempts as a team, but it was no match for the 76ers’ season-high 21 makes.

The Bucks’ next loss came on January 6 against the San Antonio Spurs, whom they had just defeated in their previous game before this one. The Spurs shot the lights out from behind the arc, connecting on 19 three-pointers from their 35 attempts, an astounding 54.3 percent.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee only hit 33.3 percent of their shots from downtown, a startling contrast in a 126-104 defeat. Shooting 15-of-45 collectively as a team, the Bucks couldn’t find a solid rhythm from three-point land. Not known as a deadly three-point shooting team, this performance from the Spurs came as a shock as they handed Milwaukee their most significant loss this season by a margin of 22 points.

Lastly comes Milwaukee’s most recent loss, a 127-115 defeat at the hands of the shorthanded Denver Nuggets. The sleep-deprived Nuggets, who were playing on the second night of a back to back, came into Milwaukee and put on a lethal shooting display from downtown.

Shooting 22-of-46 on shots from deep, the Nuggets hit an impressive 47.8 percent of their shots, wreaking havoc for the Bucks’ defense. Denver not only put up a season-high in three-point shots made, but they were two away from their franchise record as well. Milwaukee shot a vile 12-of-40 with the long ball, an uncharacteristic 30 percent for a team so reliant on this three-ball.

These nights where the opposing team has an incredible night shooting the three-pointer are bound to happen here and there, but it seems slightly alarming that this has been the case in each of Milwaukee’s three losses. The Bucks do rank 23rd in opponent three-point defense, allowing teams to connect on 36.4 percent of three-point shots.

There are some drastic differences regarding three-point statistics in Milwaukee’s wins and losses, and the three-pointer seems to be the key. In their 41 wins, the Bucks are holding teams to 35.1 percent shooting from behind the arc on 13.5 made threes per game, while in seven losses, their opponents are averaging 45.5 percent three-point shooting on 18 makes per game.

For a team with just seven losses and 41 wins before February has even begun, the Milwaukee Bucks should by no means be in panic mode. With the league’s best defensive rating at 102.0, Milwaukee has proven to be a force on that side of the ball. Regardless, it remains a valid question if this is something the Bucks need to find answers to or if it is just a matter of coincidence.