Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 109-105 win over Philadelphia 76ers

Somehow, some way, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled off one of their best and most unlikely victories of the 2020-21 season.

Milwaukee’s 109-105 overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night came by the skin of their teeth and staging what was a highly improbable comeback. But the Bucks prevailed after a few lapses late, all in time to earn their fifth straight victory and as their team is hopefully changing for the better with the reported addition of P.J. Tucker.

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Of course, the Bucks’ first clash with the 76ers came without Philadelphia having their All-Star big man Joel Embiid and his absence surely showed.

Still, the Bucks and the 76ers both battled through elements and eventually traded blows back and forth late to set up the frantic finishes in regulation and overtime. And it led to the Bucks picking up their win in their first overtime game this season.

So without further ado, let’s explore what all stood out from the Milwaukee Bucks’ thrilling win over the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night.

First takeaway from win over 76ers — The Milwaukee Bucks’ abysmal first half performance

It’s safe to say the Bucks couldn’t have started out Wednesday’s game on a rougher note. The surreal start certainly was shared by Bucks fans and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, especially reports of the Bucks acquiring P.J. Tucker surfaced.

How much that sent a shock to the system set the tone for the Bucks’ first half overall as they played well below the standards, especially offensively.

The Bucks scored a meager 31 points in the first half, easily their lowest in a half this season, while shooting 26.7 percent from the field and going 1-for-17 from three (5.9 percent). Worse than anything was the sloppy handles the Bucks showed as 13 of their 22 turnovers on the night came over the first half.

Save for Bucks star guard Jrue Holiday, who had cracked double digits with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, the Bucks couldn’t into gear whatsoever with their offense.

Fortunately, their defense was holding the 76ers’ in check and ultimately served as their biggest lifeline as they went on to stage their eventual comeback over the second half.

Second takeaway from win over 76ers — Donte DiVincenzo rises to the moment for Milwaukee Bucks

As the Bucks needed all of the help they could get to make things interested, Donte DiVincenzo came alive in the second half, as did the Bucks overall.

DiVincenzo posted 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting (4-for-9 from three), eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and a turnover in his 36 minutes and 18 seconds on the court.

Despite his inauspicious start to the night, DiVincenzo helped get the Bucks’ rhythm back on track slowly but surely. That certainly helped as he got into the paint and hit shots from 3-point range after their aforementioned porous first half half shooting. On the other end, DiVincenzo was incredibly disruptive and helped put the 76ers out of their rhythm offensively as the game went on.

Of course, DiVincenzo’s showing wasn’t without some gaffes either, especially late. After all, DiVincenzo choosing to gamble on the inbounds pass that led to the open corner three from Furkan Korkmaz helped send the 76ers into overtime. DiVincenzo made a similar mistake in the overtime period that led to another wide-open Korkmaz three.

DiVincenzo was the embodiment of the Bucks’ poorly timed defensive lapses that kept the 76ers into the game late. While that loomed over his otherwise solid performance, the Bucks had help in the reigning MVP to close things out when needed.

Third takeaway from win over 76ers — Giannis Antetokounmpo saves day for Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks made their gargantuan effort to come back and had their chance to seal the deal late in regulation, but were in desperate need of closing it out. Having failed to do so in regulation, it was Antetokounmpo who rose up to the challenge in overtime.

Antetokounmpo was simply incredible over the final five minutes as he carried the Bucks to victory by getting to the basket, whether driving down the lane, backing down Tobias Harris in the post or hitting his clutch three with 1:57 to go in overtime. Scoring 10 of the Bucks’ 16 points in overtime, the 26-year-old finished his showing much stronger than how he started the night.

That, though, was indicative of the Bucks’ night overall. Antetokounmpo’s performance was truly messy at times, especially as he had trouble dislodging Ben Simmons when Antetokounmpo was looking to rampage his way towards the cup early on. That certainly affected Antetokounmpo abhorrent shot selection like launching early triples and there was plenty that he had to figure out, just like the Bucks as a whole.

The fact that Antetokounmpo fought through that adversity and helped vault the Bucks’ comeback bid over the time speaks to the strides that and the teams are making, especially late in games.

All in all, Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points on 13-for-22 shooting (1-for-5 from three, 5-for-8 from the free throw line), 15 rebounds, six turnovers, five assists in 42 minutes and 50 seconds.

The Bucks will search for their sixth straight victory when they host the San Antonio Spurs Saturday night at Fiserv Forum.