Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 100-90 win over Cleveland Cavaliers

Takeaway No. 2 – Bobby Portis and D.J. Wilson step it up

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, Bobby Portis earned the start at power forward for the Bucks, and he made sure to make the most of the opportunity.

The big man finished as Milwaukee’s second-leading scorer with 17 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range. Portis also grabbed 11 rebounds to notch his fourth double-double of the season, but given his recent struggles, it was welcoming to see him active defensively, where he racked up four steals in his 33 minutes.

This performance comes just one day after Portis had his worst outing of the season, where he logged just two points on 1-of-5 shooting against the Utah Jazz. It was a poor showing from Portis in the loss, but it undoubtedly helped motivate him to put on a show against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Portis was not the only member of the frontcourt to see an increased opportunity with Giannis out, however, as D.J. Wilson also had a solid outing that had come increasingly rare. In 15 minutes, Wilson provided an offensive spark off the bench, having scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from long range. Wilson had not seen any game action in over a week before Saturday night, but he came in and made the most of his time as he tries to find his spot in the rotation.

The Bucks have two solid options at the 4-spot behind Antetokounmpo, and seeing them both thrive is a welcoming sight. These two will be key contributors for the Bucks all season, and they showed their importance in the team’s victory.