After going blow-for-blow down the stretch, the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Brooklyn Nets Monday night in what lived up to be a star-studded affair.
Well, the Milwaukee Bucks‘ first meeting with the Brooklyn Nets certainly lived up to the hype.
While the Bucks ended up with a 125-123 loss that came down to the final possession, we certainly saw both Eastern Conference contenders trade blow after blow that punctuated what was one of the most thrilling contests at this stage in the season.
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For Milwaukee, they saw their four-game winning streak came to an end, though it wasn’t for a lack of trying. And the Bucks got an early taste of what it will be like taking on a star-studded Nets team that they will certainly see more of as the season goes along.
So without further ado, let’s break down what all stood out in the Milwaukee Bucks’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets from Monday night.
Milwaukee Bucks versus Dallas Mavericks takeaway No. 3 — The Bucks struggle from 3-point line
So much has been made about the Bucks’ new 3-point firepower at this stage in the season and rightly so.
Setting an NBA-record 29 threes like they did a few weeks ago still stands as the sea change that Bucks fans have been hoping for in the team’s overall 3-point efficiency. But when it came time to going up against a Nets team that could eventually meet in the playoffs, the Bucks’ marksmanship from long distance was put on hold.
Milwaukee finished the night going 11-for-37 from 3-point range, a mark of 29.7 percent. It certainly didn’t help that the Bucks’ most proven and consistent 3-point shooter, Khris Middleton, was 0-for-5. The Bucks’ bench, save for Pat Connaughton, who supplied all three of the Bucks’ bench triples, wasn’t much help either.
And if we’re being honest, it wasn’t a matter of Brooklyn’s defense looking to run the Bucks off the 3-point line. The Bucks had plenty of open looks from that range and they simply couldn’t cash it in.
Call it a bad shooting night from beyond the arc and credit to the Bucks for hanging in there as long as they did. But it played a part in why they weren’t able to clinch the victory late Monday night.