Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 129-105 loss to L.A. Clippers
The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off their toughest road swing with a 129-105 defeat to the L.A. Clippers Monday night that was truly hard to swallow, given how it all started.
Milwaukee got off to a rousing start on the night and put their best foot forward by taking a commanding 12-point lead that was fueled by a swarming defensive performance. From the second quarter onwards, though, that all gradually disappeared, especially as the Bucks were mired by a brutal cold spell offensively.
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The second half saw the Clippers absolutely dissect the Bucks, setting the stage for their lights out shooting performance and blowout victory. The loss now puts the Bucks on a three-game losing streak, which continues the highs and lows we’ve seen consistently this year.
So without further ado, let’s break down what all stood out in the Milwaukee Bucks’ defeat to the L.A. Clippers.
Milwaukee Bucks suffer self-inflicted lapses in loss to Clippers
There was no shortage of ways that the Bucks doomed themselves in their loss to the Clippers last night.
Their extended offensive slump midway through the second quarter opened the door for the Clippers to regain their ground after falling into a 12-point deficit. From the 10:31 mark of the second quarter to the 3:24 mark, the Bucks scored just six points and their offense stalled out completely with Jrue Holiday on the bench.
Holiday, in particular, was central to keeping the Bucks within distance of the Clippers when the game was competitive and it paved the way for him to score 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting (3-for-8 from three), seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in 35-and-a-half minutes of burn.
While Milwaukee was eventually able to break out of their second quarter dry spell, their inability to clean up on the defensive glass and finish out stops absolutely doomed them all night long. Outrebounded 53-39 on the night, the Bucks allowed the Clippers to pick up 13 offensive rebounds which led to 25 second chance points on the night, which ties the most second chance points the Bucks have allowed in a game this season, per NBA.com/stats.
Those second chance scores served as backbreakers for the Bucks every time and with the margins tipped towards the Clippers’ way, it only makes sense it led to such a throttling by the final buzzer.