The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off 2021 with a 126-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls, and let us discuss some takeaways from their bounce-back win.
Having ended 2020 with a disappointing loss to the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks wanted to start 2021 off on the right foot.
Welcoming the Chicago Bulls to Fiserv Forum in the first of a five-game homestand, the Bucks took control of things relatively quickly. It was an eventful 48 minutes of play, but as the final buzzer sounded, Milwaukee had sealed the 126-96 victory over Chicago, extending their win streak over the franchise to 11 straight games.
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The Bucks are all knotted up at 3-3 six games into this season, but before we look ahead, let us look at some takeaways from Friday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
Takeaway No. 3 – Bucks’ defense looked fantastic
The Bucks have established a reputation as one of the league’s best defensive teams in recent memory, and it was on full display against the Chicago Bulls.
For starters, they racked up 16 steals on the night and forced the Bulls to commit 20 turnovers. Nine of those turnovers came from Chicago’s backcourt duo of Zach LaVine and Coby White, who both endured rough outings at the hands of Donte DiVincenzo and Jrue Holiday. LaVine scored just 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting, while White managed to muster up 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting, both well below their season averages thanks to the efforts of Milwaukee’s backcourt.
The Bucks also did a stellar job of taking away good looks from 3-point range for the Bulls, one of their more prominent flaws. Although it can also be attributed to an overall lackluster shooting night, the Bulls shot just 6-of-26 from behind the arc, a measly 23.1 percent. While the Bulls struggled to hit shots from distance, the Bucks had no such issue.
Takeaway No. 2 – Bucks are off to a hot start from behind the arc
The Bucks reshaped their roster this offseason to drastically improve their 3-point shooting, and it has been noticeable in the early going this year. In fact, earlier this week, Milwaukee shattered the NBA record of made 3-pointers in a game by making an astounding 29 of their own.
In Friday’s game, Milwaukee put together another strong showing as they connected on an impressive 22-of-45 of their shots from 3-point territory. Looking at it deeper, during this small six-game sample size, Milwaukee has made 20 or more triples in three of their first six contests. For reference, the Bucks crossed that number just twice throughout the entirety of the 2019-20 season, a testament to their red-hot shooting.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer has been adamant about his let it fly mentality offensively, and the Bucks have taken advantage. Brook Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, and Jrue Holiday each hit three triples apiece as they showed the impact shooting could have when paired alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis himself continues to struggle expanding his range, as he went 1-of-5 from three, but his teammates had him covered.
While the prolific 3-point bombardment showcased Friday night was an all-around team effort, the second unit turned some heads with their contributions.
Takeaway No. 1 – Second unit can provide a scoring punch
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks in scoring with 29 points, but behind him, it was an all-around effort in the scoring department.
Khris Middleton chipped in 14, while Donte DiVincenzo and Jrue Holiday scored a combined 22 points, but the second unit also made a substantial impact on the offensive end. Bryn Forbes, Bobby Portis, and Pat Connaughton scored a combined 49 points to lead the reserves, making their presence felt throughout the game.
Forbes finished as Milwaukee’s second-leading scoring of the night, having logged an impressive 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. One of the team’s new additions this offseason, Forbes struggled to find any rhythm to start the season, but he looked fantastic in the win over the Bulls as he went 4-of-6 from beyond the perimeter. That high-level 3-point shooting is why the team brought him in, and this recent showing certainly bodes well for his minutes in the rotation.
Another new signee, Portis, made his presence felt all night long as he finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks in 25 minutes played. The big man also contributed to Milwaukee’s 3-point onslaught after having gone 2-for-2 from deep on the night. Lastly, Connaughton also looked great off the bench, having finished with 11 points and a perfect 3-of-3 outing from downtown.
The Bucks spent a considerable amount of cash to remodel their bench this offseason with the proper pieces, and Friday’s performance from the second unit provided optimism in that regard.
The Bucks will have a couple of days off to rest up before hosting the Detroit Pistons Monday night at Fiserv Forum for a 7 o’clock tip-off.