Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 119-98 win over Philadelphia 76ers

Throwing that 1-2 punch

Once again, the connection between the Bucks’ two All-Stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, was integral in setting the tone behind the team’s rout over the 76ers last night.

For Antetokounmpo, the reigning MVP was quick to show off his finesse game and his jump shot, whether it was from mid-range, on turnaround jumpers in the paint and from long distance. Antetokounmpo paired that with plenty of breakaway scores as he regularly found openings within the 76ers’ porous transition defense.

The 25-year-old regularly crashed the defensive glass and set up plenty of opportunities for his teammates to build his and the Bucks’ complete victory. That all left Antetokounmpo with 31 points on 17 shots (2-for-5 from three, 5-for-8 from the line), 17 rebounds, eight assists, four turnovers, a block and was a +25 in a mere 29 minutes of action.

As for Middleton, the eighth-year swingman grew into the game, though he did hit timely buckets from mid-range over the course of the first half. Middleton’s contributions grew into prominence over the Bucks’ decisive third quarter where he hit shots from all levels of the floor to join forces with Antetokounmpo and completely demolish their opponent.

Antetokounmpo and Middleton combined for 24 of the Bucks’ 37 points in the third quarter.

Middleton wound up posting 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field (2-for-6 from deep, 3-of-3 from the foul line), nine rebounds, four turnovers, two assists and was a +27 in over 30 and a half minutes of run.