Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 133-122 win over Washington Wizards

The Milwaukee Bucks have been great out of the All-Star break, and they remained consistent with a big win against the Washington Wizards Monday night.

Milwaukee was in control of this one for a majority of the game by letting Washington’s biggest lead of the night get to just two points early on. Meanwhile, the Bucks looked firmly in control as they pushed their largest lead to 26 at one point, but that eventually fizzled to single digits late in the fourth quarter.

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Despite going ice cold in the second half, the Bucks were able to overcome their late-game scare and notch their fourth consecutive victory. Taking down the Wizards 133-122, Milwaukee now sits at 25-14 on the season, still sitting firmly in the Eastern Conference’s third spot.

Following their struggles throughout the early parts of this season with the new roster, it seems that the Bucks are finally starting to figure things out as a unit.

While only time will tell if they can keep things consistent with several big top-heavy matchups coming up on the schedule, there is reason to be optimistic about the direction they are heading towards. Before the Bucks get the chance to make it five wins in a row, here are three takeaways from their win over the Wizards last night.

First takeaway from win over Wizards — Milwaukee Bucks dominate the paint

Washington has a reputable paint defense this season, ranking in the middle of the pack in terms of points allowed in that area per game. However, Milwaukee dominated down low throughout the entirety of the contest, and the Wizards had no answer to their aggressive approach.

After 48 minutes, the Bucks had put an astounding 70 points on the board courtesy of scoring in the paint, which marks the second-highest total they’ve set for a game this season, per NBA.com/stats.

They were practically living close to the basket, and part of their success came from their ability to snatch the offensive rebound on multiple trips. Hauling in nine boards on the night, the Bucks were able to add an extra 15 second chance points to their point total.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee surrendered just 42 points in the paint and an astounding two second chance points defensively. The Bucks did a fantastic job of protecting the basket on that end while attacking it with aggression on the other, just dominating in both aspects.

Part of these top-notch efforts from the Bucks came from their man in the middle, who has been playing some great basketball following the All-Star break.