Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 112-101 win over Philadelphia 76ers

You shall not pass

Just as they did during Christmas Day, the 76ers punished the Bucks’ perimeter defending as they finished Thursday night going 19-of-45 from long range, good for 42.2 percent. And now between their two meetings with the Bucks, the 76ers have connected on a combined 40 triples.

But inside the arc ended up being a greater challenge for Philadelphia as the Bucks did everything possible to make their presence known inside the arc. That resulted in the 76ers hitting more triples than two pointers as they went 18-for-44 on such shots, good for 40.9 percent.

That’s where the Bucks’ top-ranked defense loomed large as they simply didn’t give much room for the 76ers to get quality shots off in the paint and at the cup while they welcomed any and all mid-range looks they were willing to throw up.

They did all of that while one of the league’s premier paint defenders in Brook Lopez was mired in foul trouble, especially throughout the first half.

But in stepped his twin brother, Robin, who absolutely made All-Star big man Joel Embiid uncomfortable throughout his shifts on the floor as he went on to have 19 points on 26 shots (3-for-10 from three), 11 rebounds and six assists. And the Bucks had a +33.2 net rating in the 14 minutes Embiid and Robin overlapped with one another, per NBA.com/stats.

Along with that, Philadelphia was limited to just 30 paint points for the night, which is the third-fewest points they’ve scored in the painted area this season. Again, a defensive performance like the Bucks put on last night only reinforces what they’ve been doing on that end of the floor all season long.