Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 120-109 win over Atlanta Hawks

The Milwaukee Bucks finished off their latest road trip with a perfect 3-0 record as they handled the Atlanta Hawks last night with a 120-109 victory.

Milwaukee did it without starting shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo in the lineup, who missed the game with toe soreness. That earned Bryn Forbes his eighth starting nod this season, chipping in nine points on 4-of-9 shooting.

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Although the Hawks were also missing several rotational pieces heading into this game, it would be a big test for the Bucks, nevertheless.

Atlanta has recently been on a late-season surge as they continue making a run at the postseason, entering this game with a 16-5 record since Nate McMillan took over as interim head coach. Their recent efforts had them sitting right behind the Bucks at fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

That made it a solid win for the Bucks as they took down another opponent potentially bound for the postseason. If the Hawks can rebound from this loss and keep consistent with their recent rejuvenated place, they could certainly have to face Milwaukee at some point down the line with the playoffs nearing.

Only time will tell if that hypothetical matchup comes to fruition. In the meantime, here are three takeaways from Milwaukee’s 11-point win over Atlanta last night.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ new additions look comfortable off the bench in win over Hawks

The Bucks have been persistent about upgrading their bench as this season has progressed, and a pair of new additions flashed potential in last night’s win.

The first was Jeff Teague, who has filled the team’s backup point guard vacancy since being waived by the Orlando Magic. The veteran guard has provided a welcoming boost for the Bucks in the second unit, and he continued making a strong early impression by finishing with 11 points and five assists. Although he shot just 3-of-8 from the floor, the guard remained aggressive all night as he earned himself six free throw attempts on the night, knocking down five of them.

Another Buck that had a great game was P.J. Tucker, who was playing in his second straight game after previously missing 10 consecutive contests. The defensive ace had his best game since being acquired by the Bucks last month by scoring eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. While the shot was falling for Tucker, he was also making his presence felt on the defensive end by turning up the intensity all night.

Seeing these two look comfortable on the floor with their new teammates is certainly a welcoming sign with the postseason nearing. Both Teague and Tucker will play key roles for Milwaukee down the stretch, as evidenced in last night’s win over Atlanta. Partially thanks to a great effort from these two offensively, Milwaukee’s reserves outscored Atlanta’s bench 44-16 on the night.