Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 129-115 win over Atlanta Hawks

Takeaway no. 2 from win over Atlanta Hawks – Bucks’ bench stepped up

There was much disappointment in the Bucks’ bench combining to score 35 total points in their clashes against the Nets and the Lakers last week. Rightfully so, I should add.

That’s why it was refreshing to see the Bucks’ bench step up to the occasion and collectively contribute 47 points in the Bucks’ win over Atlanta.

It was certainly no surprise to see Bobby Portis bounce back after largely being quiet over the last week and lead the Bucks’ bench unit by scoring a season-high 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting (1-for-2 from three), along with six boards and an assist over his 26-and-a-half minutes on the floor. The same went for Bryn Forbes, who packed a nice scoring punch and chipped in 11 points on five shots.

Perhaps the biggest breath of fresh air was seeing what the Bucks have been missing on two fronts, first starting with D.J. Augustin. The veteran point guard certainly wasn’t perfect, but sinking three triples that all accounted for all nine of his points gave a boost to what was a subpar shooting night from 3-point range overall for the Bucks (Milwaukee finished the night 10-for-31 from deep).

The second notable twist was the long-awaited sighting of Torrey Craig in what served as his first taste of action in nearly a month since fracturing his nose. Donning a mask, Craig showed off his versatile game on both ends of the floor and very much looked the part in his 13-and-a-half minute outing.

Whether we’re starting to see a new look in the Bucks’ rotation or not remains to be seen, but the dire performances we saw recently forced Mike Budenholzer to change up the bench’s rhythm.