The Milwaukee Bucks have won three games in a row following their 130-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons Wednesday night.
Two days after their first victory in their season series with the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks welcomed them back into Fiserv Forum for a rematch Wednesday night.
After 48 minutes, the Bucks secured their second consecutive victory over the Pistons with a 130-115 win. Despite the double-digit margin listed on the box score, it was by no means all smooth sailing for Milwaukee. The Bucks saw a 34-point lead shrink significantly to the point where the starters were still on the floor late in the final period.
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Nevertheless, the Milwaukee Bucks picked up their fifth win of the season against their Central Division foe, and here are three takeaways from last night’s contest.
Takeaway No. 3 – Brook Lopez finally finds some rhythm
Brook Lopez had been struggling mightily on the offensive end throughout the first seven games of the season.
The big man had logged just one double-digit scoring outing to that point, a 14-point night which came in the Bucks’ historic blowout against the Miami Heat late last month.
With his struggles on full display early this season, Lopez broke out of his slump in Wednesday’s matchup against the Pistons. Brook looked fantastic all night as he eventually logged 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and went 4-of-7 from downtown, which marks a season-high for the big man. In addition to his hot shooting performance, the seven-footer also surprisingly played the facilitator role, having dished out an impressive five assists on the night.
In his 28 minutes of action, Lopez looked rejuvenated with the ball in his hands after several lackluster outings. Hopefully, this stellar showcase helps the big man spark some momentum to carry over as the season progresses.
Takeaway No. 2 – Offensive struggles persist in the backcourt
Although it was another all-around contribution from the Bucks’ highly talented roster, the backcourt struggled to get anything going all night. Donte DiVincenzo and Jrue Holiday combined for just 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting, including 0-of-6 from behind the arc.
Regarding DiVincenzo, he has not done much struggling this season since being promoted into the starting lineup. The third-year guard scored in double-figures throughout Milwaukee’s first six games of the season, which was a career-long streak for him.
Despite the hot start, he has now struggled in both games against the Pistons, totaling a combined nine points on 4-of-17 shooting and went 1-of-9 from 3-point territory. Although his scoring has gone cold, DiVincenzo has made sure to get his teammates involved, as he has dished out 10 assists throughout the two games as well.
Alongside Donte is Jrue Holiday, who also struggled to put the ball in the basket on Wednesday night. The guard finished with just 10 points on 4-11 shooting, but he also made sure to defer to his teammates when the shot was not falling, finishing the game with six assists.
While the tandem struggled on the offensive end, they made sure that their counterparts on the Pistons were going to have a rough night as well. DiVincenzo and Holiday did their part defensively by limiting Detroit’s backcourt to just 15 points on 4-of-15 shooting, which proved to be a bright spot.
While struggles from these two would typically spell trouble for the Bucks, a different pair of players picked up the slack and helped propel the victory.
Takeaway No. 1 – Jordan Nwora, Bobby Portis have their best outings yet
Both Bobby Portis and Jordan Nwora were newcomers to the Bucks this offseason, and it has not taken them long to become fan favorites in the city. After watching Wednesday night’s victory, it is clear why the two have claimed that high praise early from fans.
Portis had his best game as a Buck as he posted 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 28 minutes off the bench. The big man brought the intensity all night long as he left it all out on the court as he pieced together another stellar performance. Milwaukee envisioned a prominent role in the rotation when they signed him this offseason, and he has been exceeding expectations to this point.
Portis was not the only member of the second unit to impress in the win over the Pistons, however, as Jordan Nwora also made some noise in meaningful minutes.
The rookie played a season-high 15 minutes and had the hot-hand offensively, having finished the game with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and went a perfect 3-of-3 from deep. Bucks fans have wanted to see more and more of Nwora, and after this performance, he certainly helped his case to earn more minutes in the rotation.
In addition to his strong outing, Milwaukee’s wing rotation has also taken some recent hits, which has opened a window of opportunity. Pat Connaughton, Torrey Craig, and Sam Merrill are all sidelined due to injury, and depending on how much time they miss, Nwora has a genuine opportunity to earn some playing time. He undoubtedly took advantage Wednesday night, and hopefully, this is just the beginning for Jordan Nwora.
The Milwaukee Bucks will continue their homestand by welcoming the Utah Jazz to Fiserv Forum in a matchup that will tip-off at 7 p.m. central time Friday night.