Following a lengthy six-game road trip, the Milwaukee Bucks returned home Friday to square off against the Charlotte Hornets at Fiserv Forum.
However, they were without several key pieces for this matchup, including every member of their typical starting five, along with P.J. Tucker. That forced head coach Mike Budenholzer to get creative with his rotations, and it was certainly interesting to see it all unfold.
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Still, despite a handful of stellar performances from several individuals, the shorthanded Bucks were unable to overcome their issues and fell to the Hornets 127-119. Milwaukee has now lost three consecutive games and now sit at 32-20 on the season.
With the regular season slowly winding down, health is undoubtedly a prominent storyline revolving around the Bucks right now. Last night’s contest only amplifies that further with the Bucks still in the hunt for that top overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
With the team hitting the road once again for a three-game swing, hopefully we’ll get some clarity on just how healthy they currently are between now and then. In the meantime, here are three takeaways from Milwaukee’s loss to Charlotte last night.
Jeff Teague impresses in his first start with the Milwaukee Bucks in loss to Hornets
The Bucks recently signed veteran Jeff Teague to fill their backup point guard opening, and the fit has been seamless.
In his first four games with the team, Teague had been largely impressive in that backup role, despite still learning the ropes regarding his new teammates. With starting point guard Jrue Holiday among the many sidelined in Friday night’s game due to injury, Budenholzer gave Teague the nod in the starting lineup.
The 32-year-old made good with the opportunity by scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Teague was aggressively looking to score the basketball all night, catching the attention of many. While he is not known for his scoring ability, Teague has shown signs early in his stint with the Bucks that he can help put extra points on the scoreboard.
In addition to his top-tier scoring performance, the guard also dished out six assists in the matchup. Teague’s playmaking prowess was among the many reasons fans were excited to bring the veteran aboard, and he flashed signs of what he is capable of doing for Milwaukee’s second unit in Friday’s game.
Although Teague’s best game with the Bucks to date came in a loss, it is still a welcoming sign to see the guard continue adjusting quickly to his new team.