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.

Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez dominate in win over Atlanta Hawks

Just as they did in Milwaukee’s 130-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves the day before, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez looked fantastic in this win.

Holiday led the charge for Milwaukee by scoring a team-high 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 2-of-4 from deep. Aside from a mishap on a dunk attempt in the third quarter, the guard had everything going when it came to scoring the ball, but he also got his teammates involved with seven assists in the contest.

On top of his stellar offensive performance, Holiday was displaying his top-tier efforts defensively with Trae Young as his main assignment. Young shot just 3-for-17 from the floor and 0-for-3 from deep during his 37 minutes of action. While Young’s struggles cannot solely be attributed to Holiday, there is no doubt that the two-time All-Defensive honoree made it a tough outing for Young whenever they were matched up.

Along with Holiday, another member of the starting lineup that had himself a great night was Lopez. The big man finished with 19 points while shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from three from long distance. In addition to his fantastic night scoring the basketball, Lopez was hauling in the boards at a high rate as he snagged a season-high 12 rebounds.

Following Milwaukee’s last two games, it is clear that Holiday and Lopez both find themselves in a nice groove on both sides of the ball.

Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his return for the Milwaukee Bucks in win over Hawks

After missing Milwaukee’s previous six contests due to knee soreness, Giannis Antetokounmpo made his highly-anticipated return to the lineup in the win over the Hawks.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer kept a close eye on Antetokounmpo’s minutes as the Greek superstar finished the game with just under 25 minutes of burn in his return. Still, the two-time MVP made a solid impact in that frame by finishing with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-2 from range.

He looked aggressive during his limited minute by throwing down some nice dunks and burying a triple for good measure. Also tallying five rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block, Antetokounmpo had a solid impact in his first game action since April 2.

It was great to see the Greek Freak back out on the floor for Milwaukee, and that knee soreness will be something to monitor as the Bucks look to finish the regular season on a high note. They have upcoming sets against the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, meaning Milwaukee will need a healthy Giannis in the mix to gain ground on them in the standings.

Before then, the Bucks will aim to make it four consecutive victories as they head back home to Fiserv Forum to square off against the Memphis Grizzlies. That should be a great matchup, and you can catch the action at 8:00 p.m. CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin for those viewing locally.