Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 125-119 win over Washington Wizards
By Dalton Sell
Second takeaway from win over Washington Wizards — Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday impact elsewhere on off shooting night
In what could only be described as an off night shooting the ball, two of Milwaukee’s leading men struggled to put the basketball in the hoop all night long.
Khris Middleton was entirely out of sorts offensively as he managed to score 16 points on just 3-of-12 shooting, including a lackluster 1-of-4 from behind the arc. To his credit, he forward managed to scrounge up a large portion of his points at the free throw line, where he shot a perfect 9-of-9 in the contest.
While he could not orchestrate much offense for himself, Middleton showcased his improved playmaking prowess as he notched eight assists on the night. Averaging a career-best 5.6 assists per game this season, the forward has taken significant strides in that aspect of his game, and it was on full display in the win over Washington. Not every night will be his best shooting night, but he showed that he can still make a meaningful impact elsewhere when that is the case.
The same can be said for Holiday, who also had a tough time getting into any rhythm all night. Although he did finish the game with 18 points, the guard had to work for every bucket, shooting 6-for-18 from the floor, including 2-for-5 from deep. Notching eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals also, the guard consistently made his presence felt on the floor even when he was not scoring.
Holiday is still working his way back up to speed following a 10-game absence after his bout with COVID-19, so performances like these are bound to happen. Even as the guard still tries to find his footing, he can be a game-changer, which proved to be the case last night.