The visiting Milwaukee Bucks swept the season series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday with a dominant 130-105 win.
They did it without Giannis Antetokounmpo in the mix, who missed his sixth consecutive game as he continues battling through knee soreness. Minnesota was also without their top man, as Karl Anthony-Towns missed his second consecutive game due to personal reasons involving the one-year anniversary of the death of his mother.
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The Bucks have been justifiably inconsistent without the two-time MVP in the fold throughout this recent stretch, and they would need several players to step up in his absence.
They were granted some reinforcements as defensive ace P.J. Tucker made his return to the lineup after missing 10 games due to a calf strain. The veteran finished scoreless in just under 10 minutes of action, but it was a welcoming sign to see him get back out there with the team.
Although Tucker understandably showed off some rust, a handful of other players stepped up significantly to help propel this win. With that being said, here are three takeaways from Milwaukee’s big win over Minnesota.
Milwaukee Bucks get a shooting lift from the bench in win over Timberwolves
Leading second unit scorer Bobby Portis got his sixth start of the season with Antetokounmpo sidelined, leaving big shoes to fill on the bench to replicate his scoring production.
Understanding the situation, Pat Connaughton stepped up by scoring 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc. Also notching four rebounds in his 21 minutes of action, the guard logged another impactful performance off the bench.
After shooting 1-for-17 from 3-point range throughout Milwaukee’s first five games in April, Connaughton has found himself in a nice rhythm. Including Sunday’s 124-87 win over the Orlando Magic, the veteran is now shooting 7-for-11 from deep in his last two appearances. Hopefully, this recent uptick in shooting is sustainable for Connaughton as he continues seeing extended minutes.
Speaking of red-hot shooting, another reserve that provided a boost in Wednesday’s win was Bryn Forbes. in 17 minutes, the sharpshooter finished with 14 points on a solid 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-5 from downtown. The 27-year-old is having a career year shooting the ball, and the Bucks are certainly glad to have that firepower coming off their bench, as evidenced by his latest performance.
Led by a strong combined effort from these two, Milwaukee’s bench knocked down 11 triples in the contest, which provided a big boost offensively.
Brook Lopez, Jrue Holiday show off their defense in Milwaukee Bucks’ win over Timberwolves
With a combined three All-Defensive team nominations between the two, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday need very little introduction on the defensive end.
That defensive prowess between the two was on full display against Minnesota, as they stuffed the stat sheet. Holiday notched three steals in the contest by staying active on defense at all times. These numbers will only increase the guard’s career-best 1.8 steals per game this season, which also comes in as the second-highest mark in the association.
In addition to his active hands defensively, Holiday did a solid job of keeping his assignment in check throughout the contest. Although Rookie of the Year candidate Anthony Edwards scored 24 points in the contest, Holiday made him work for every basket as he shot just 8-for-21 from the floor. While all of that cannot be attributed to Holiday’s presence, it is safe to say that his efforts helped make the rookie’s night as difficult as possible.
Meanwhile, Lopez stuffed the stat sheet with two blocks and two steals each. Lopez was active down low all night, which played a large part in the Timberwolves scoring just 34 points in the paint in the contest. Contributing 18 points as well, Lopez had a solid all-around performance in Milwaukee’s win. His defense has been called obsolete periodically throughout the season, but performances like these show how valuable Lopez can be on that side of the ball.
Khris Middleton’s efforts pave the way for the Milwaukee Bucks in win over Timberwolves
With Antetokounmpo ruled out once again, all the focus shifted towards Khris Middleton. The Bucks would need a big game from the two-time All-Star if they were to win this one, and he delivered.
The forward finished with a solid stat line of 27 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Middleton’s shooting has been inconsistent throughout Milwaukee’s six games this month, but he had everything working against Minnesota. Shooting 9-for-15 from the floor and 3-for-7 from behind the arc, Middleton was in a nice groove from start to finish. That included capitalizing at the free throw line, where he shot a perfect 6-for-6.
Not only did he create offense for himself, but with more ball handling duties, Middleton ensured to get his teammates involved in the action with his seven assists. This season has been a career year for the forward in terms of playmaking, and yesterday’s outing was a premier display of that facilitating prowess.
Although he has been shaky throughout this month, a performance like this could certainly get Middleton in a nice rhythm during this final regular season stretch. With the playoffs approaching and the Bucks still chasing that Eastern Conference top seed, some high-end from Middleton as the season winds down would be reassuring.
Middleton will have a chance to keep this momentum going as the Bucks take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight. It should be a great game of a potential playoff preview, and you can catch the action at 6:30 p.m. CST on TNT.