Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 134-106 win over Portland Trail Blazers

The Milwaukee Bucks answered the call to break their losing skid Monday night.

With a 134-106 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Fiserv Forum, the Bucks certainly exorcised the frustration that had built up over their recent road trip that ended on a sour note.

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They did so while displaying their usual firepower that propelled them past the Blazers during a game that they led for most of the night. Not a bad way to get back in the win column, that’s for sure.

So without further ado, let’s break down what all stood out in the Milwaukee Bucks’ victory over the Portland Trail Blazers from Monday night.

Takeaway no. 3 from win over Blazers – Milwaukee Bucks shut down Damian Lillard

Given all of the issues that currently exist for the Bucks on the defensive side of the ball, seeing a Blazers team come to town that features one of the best scorers in the game, Damian Lillard, was not the cure all one was looking for.

But as it turns out, the Bucks gave more than Lillard can handle as he and the Blazers’ total offense was kept in check, save for garbage time minutes.

Lillard certainly got his when scoring opportunities presented themselves by finishing with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting (2-for-7 from three). But the Bucks’ aggressive defending in pick-and-rolls helped limit Lillard to his second-worst scoring performance of the season.

Of course, this is where Bucks guard Jrue Holiday shined as he was glued to Lillard’s hip both on and off the ball to prevent the Blazers’ leading scorer from getting into any sort of rhythm. But equal credit should be given to the Bucks’ bigs like Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis that met Lillard well beyond the 3-point line and gave him quite the crowd that he couldn’t handle alone, which garnered the praise from Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

This is certainly where the absence of Lillard’s backcourt running mate, C.J. McCollum, loomed large. But the Bucks play the team that’s in front of them and it helped them shut down Portland’s offensive attack.

Takeaway no. 2 from win over Blazers – Milwaukee Bucks’ bench levels up

When the Bucks have played their best basketball so far this season, they have had plenty of help and contributions along the way.

Their bench unit has certainly had their struggles and have had trouble playing up to winning teams, but that was not the case against the Blazers as the Bucks had 64 points come from their bench.

Bobby Portis certainly came to play by leading the Bucks’ bench brigade by matching his season-high of 21 points while going 9-for-13 from the field (3-for-5 from downtown), along with eight rebounds, two assists as well as two steals in more than 23-and-a-half minutes.

Portis wasn’t the only one who pitched in with a scoring punch. D.J. Augustin also matched his season-high with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three, along with six assists, five boards in 17-and-a-half minutes of run. Last but not least, Bryn Forbes reached double figures for the eighth time this season with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting and 3-of-5 from downtown in 18 minutes of burn.

To expect this kind of lift on a nightly basis hasn’t and isn’t realistic with the ups and downs the Bucks’ bench has had this season. But they certainly showed what they are capable of Monday night.

Takeaway no. 1 from win over Blazers – Milwaukee Bucks reign from three

It’s performances like the one the Bucks had Monday night that reinforced why they’re the best offense in the NBA.

The Bucks were certainly boosted by a tremendous shooting performance as they shot 55.2 percent from the field and went 21-for-42 from 3-point range. That latter mark is the fourth time that the Bucks have 20 or more triples in a single game this season.

That was certainly helped by having six players finish in double figures. While we touched on the Bucks’ bench making a significant contribution to the rout, the Bucks’ ‘Big 3’ of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton scored a combined 57 points on the night.

With so much firepower to go around, the Bucks posted their third-highest effective field goal percentage (66.1 percent) for a game this season, per NBA.com/stats. It’s fitting that the two higher marks came in the Bucks’ bigger blowout wins this season against the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat.

The Bucks will look to continue their winning ways when they host the Indiana Pacers Wednesday evening for a 6 o’clock tip off at Fiserv Forum.