Entering Thursday’s matchup on a two-game losing skid, the Milwaukee Bucks desperately needed to get back in the win column against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Bucks handled things accordingly by taking down the 76ers 124-117 in one of the team’s most impressive wins of the season, even as Philadelphia was without All-Star forward Ben Simmons. Still, given how inconsistent the Bucks have played this season, particularly against the top-heavy teams, it was nice to see them build up a lead as big as 21 on the night.
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A massive factor in Milwaukee’s success throughout this contest was their prolific shooting from behind the arc. Knocking down 20 triples in 40 attempts, the Bucks torched the 76ers with some red hot shooting.
Facing off against the current top seed in the Eastern Conference and arguably the frontrunner for league MVP in Joel Embiid, this was pegged as a measuring stick game for the Bucks, and they certainly showed up ready to play.
Following the win, they are now just two-and-a-half games behind both Philadelphia and Brooklyn for that top spot in the standings, a goal that undoubtedly remains attainable with the regular season nearing an end. With a rematch scheduled for Saturday, the Bucks will have another opportunity to inch closer to that top seed.
For now, here are three takeaways from last night’s win at Fiserv Forum.
The Milwaukee Bucks get a big lift from Bobby Portis off the bench in win over 76ers
Bobby Portis has consistently been a contributor off Milwaukee’s bench this season, but he turned the intensity up a notch in a game that felt like a playoff environment.
In 22-and-a half minutes last night, Portis was a dominant force on the offensive end by lighting the 76ers up for a season-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting. That included knocking down all five of his attempts from behind the arc as he continues enjoying the best 3-point shooting season of his career at 48.5 percent. Defensively, Portis has been known to struggle defensively this season, but the big man made his presence felt by tallying three blocks and a steal on the evening.
It was a fantastic sight to see Portis step up, particularly as Milwaukee’s bench has been known to falter in big-time matchups this season. He was not alone as Pat Connaughton continued his recent hot streak by chipping in 10 points while Bryn Forbes chimed in nine himself. Still, Portis unquestionably stole the show as he consistently kept the offense clicking with a barrage of shots from long distance.
Although he has been solid all season, this latest performance just reaffirms that sizable impact Portis can have in the Bucks’ second unit when the shot is falling, and he is staying active defensively. As evidenced by this stellar performance, he could be a difference-maker in big matchups down the road.
Khris Middleton sets the tone for the Milwaukee Bucks in win over 76ers
The game-to-game struggles for Khris Middleton recently have been a trending topic of discussion for the Bucks lately. With the playoffs nearing, the forward needed a big performance against the 76ers to get himself going, and he delivered early on.
Middleton came out firing early as he scored 10 points in the first quarter by asserting himself offensively. That aggressive mindset carried over into the second quarter where he added 11 more points to his total to sit at 21 at the break. After a dynamic first half, Middleton went quiet in the second half as he added just three points, but it was clear that his efforts on the night helped set the tone for this team from the jump.
All in all, Middleton scored 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point territory. Also dishing out five assists, the forward was conjuring up offense for himself and his teammates all night in the win. Although his efforts could not have been more lopsided between the first and final 24 minutes, it is a warm welcome to see the forward log a solid performance following his recent rough stretch.
The two-time All-Star has had his share of down moments against the premier contenders this season, and hopefully this outing can spark some confidence in him. If the Bucks will make a run at the NBA Finals this season, they will need more performances like this from Middleton against the top contenders. With that being said, he could be the ultimate X-factor for this team’s title aspirations.
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominates for the Milwaukee Bucks despite rough free throw shooting
Do not be mistaken, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s case for a third MVP award is still a possibility with the few regular season games remaining.
Although it remains a long shot, his stock certainly has gone up following his top-notch performance against the 76ers and Embiid for a majority of the contest. Antetokounmpo was fantastic on the offensive end by finishing with 27 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including 1-of-2 from deep.
Embiid gave Antetokounmpo some trouble when the two MVP candidates were matched up against one another, but the Greek Freak stayed aggressive with the basketball nevertheless. The big man has been known to give Giannis trouble defensively, but it was welcoming to see the two-time MVP embrace the challenge and consistently go at him.
That aggressiveness earned Antetokounmpo a whopping 18 shots from the foul line, where he surprisingly connected on just 10 of those tries. Particularly lately, Antetokounmpo has shown a much-improved stroke from the charity stripe, but this could only simply be categorized as a rare off night.
However, Giannis impacted this game in more ways than just scoring by also finishing with six assists and an impressive 16 rebounds while staying actively defensively by snatching two steals and swatting a single shot. Antetokounmpo’s impact was written all over this game from start to finish on both ends of the floor.
The Bucks will hope for a similar performance from Giannis as they are set to take on the 76ers yet again Saturday afternoon. It should be another fantastic matchup, and you can catch the action at 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN as well as on Bally Sports Wisconsin for those living locally.