It was not their best outing of the season, but the Milwaukee Bucks picked up another gutsy win in crunch-time over the Washington Wizards last night.
It was a back and forth battle the entire night, and the nail-biting conclusion just tipped in Milwaukee’s favor during the final minute of the game. Thanks to some late-game free throws from Khris Middleton, the Bucks squeaked out a 125-119 win over Washington, giving them their 24th victory of the year.
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This was Milwaukee’s first game of the season where they won after trailing by double-digits at any point in the contest, and it certainly must feel good to overcome that nagging issue finally.
They were able to do so partially thanks to another top-tier effort from their starters, each member of the unit finishing with double-figures in the scoring department. This was the second consecutive game they were able to do so, but there will be more on their individual performances in a minute.
Now sitting at 10 games above .500 with a 24-14 record, the Bucks still remain lodged in the Eastern Conference’s third slot. They will get another shot to continue inching closer to the top spot as they square off against the Wizards in what should be a highly-anticipated rematch on Monday.
Before that game kicks off, here are three takeaways from Milwaukee’s 125-119 win over Washington last night.
First takeaway from win over Washington Wizards — Milwaukee Bucks capitalize at the charity stripe
The free throw line has oftentimes been a daunting place for the Bucks this season, as they are among the worst teams in the association at shooting them.
However, they looked great in the win over the Wizards by shooting 22-of-25 from the line on the night. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday highlighted this excellence as they combined to go a perfect 13-of-13 from the stripe. At the same time, Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his recent uptick in free throw consistency by chipping in seven makes in eight attempts.
The Bucks will unquestionably embrace an 88 percent shooting night from the free throw line on any given night, given how poorly they have proven to be there this year. Milwaukee is currently connecting on an abysmal 74.4 percent of their attempts from the line this season, the fifth-worst mark in the entire association.
Knocking down those shots consistently has been one of Milwaukee’s most fatal flaws this season, partially why they have been relatively poor in the clutch this season. However, Saturday night’s victory showed a glimpse of hope, and if the team can continue their recent efforts at the line, they will be in good shape.