Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 133-122 win over Washington Wizards
By Dalton Sell
Second takeaway from win over Wizards — Brook Lopez continues recent success for Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks were dominating down low all night, and starting center Brook Lopez was among those leading the charge.
Offensively, Lopez has one of his better games of the season, notching 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Going 0-for-3 from behind the arc, the big man did his damage on offense inside, primarily close to the basket. That aggressiveness also helped him get to the free throw line on multiple occasions, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe.
Defensively, Lopez was denying Washington’s shots left and right by tallying four blocks on the night. A year removed from his All-Defensive-worthy season, the big man turned back the clock in a display of his excellence on that side of the ball. The veteran has been less than perfect this season as the Bucks continue experimenting with new schemes, but he reminded the world last night how impactful he can be defensively.
Lopez’s overall fit with Milwaukee has been in question all year, and after a rough first half of the season, there were some fans believing that he should be gone for good. However, the 32-year-old has been playing solid basketball following the All-Star break by averaging 15.7 points while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor. Also tallying three blocks per game, Lopez continues making an all-around impact in what has been a rejuvenated three-game stretch for him.
Hopefully, he can keep these recent efforts on both ends of the floor consistent for the Bucks as they appear to finally have finally found some rhythm.