Needing to get back into the win column, the Milwaukee Bucks handled their business against the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday night with a solid 114-104 victory.
It was their first win over the Hornets this season as they avoided the season sweep after dropping two games earlier this year. Charlotte was still looking to get healthy as they were without Rookie of the Year candidate LaMelo Ball and former All-Star forward Gordon Hayward, but this was another thrilling matchup nevertheless.
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Although the regular season series between these two teams has come to a conclusion, perhaps the Bucks will see Charlotte down the road heading into the postseason, depending on how the standings shake out.
Only time will tell what happens there over the next several weeks, but there are certainly several things to highlight from Milwaukee’s bounce back win over the Hornets last night in the present.
With that being said, here are three takeaways from the Bucks’ 114-104 win in Charlotte.
The Milwaukee Bucks survive another late game scare in win over Hornets
Milwaukee’s fourth quarter issues have been a prominent issue for them periodically throughout the season. These woes have been a hot topic of discussion over the past few days after the Bucks blew a sizeable lead to the Atlanta Hawks in a 111-104 loss on Sunday.
Just as they did against the Hawks, the Bucks built up a comfortable lead midway throughout this one, leading by as many as 19. However, the Hornets never quite waived the white flag as they continued chipping away at the deficit throughout the latter stages of the game.
With just over four minutes to play, a pair of free throws from Charlotte’s Devonte’ Graham cut Milwaukee’s lead to just four. Rather than imploding entirely this time around, the Bucks kept their composure and ended the game on an 11-5 run soon after. Although they were fortunate enough to earn the victory this time, it was yet another close call for Milwaukee as they move to 10-13 in games that result in a clutch time finish this season.
Closing games in the fourth quarter has been the Achilles heel for the Bucks this season, and that will certainly be something to watch as they prepare for the playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez dominate for the Milwaukee Bucks in win over Hornets
Had it not been for big nights from a pair of the Bucks’ starters, perhaps they would have suffered yet another fourth quarter setback.
Giannis Antetokounmpo paved the way by scoring 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting. Not only did the two-time MVP continue to show off his much-improved jumper by knocking down several tough mid-range shots and two of his four 3-point attempts, but he also shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe on the night.
He was scoring the ball at will, which overshadowed the fact that he nearly logged a triple-double with 12 rebounds and an impressive eight assists. Furthermore, he was active on the defensive end by tallying three steals and a block in the contest. It was another all-around fantastic performance from Antetokounmpo, but he certainly got a boost from his man in the middle in Brook Lopez.
Lopez was clicking offensively from the opening tip by finishing the game, having scored 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor (0-for-2 from 3-point range).
It is rare these days to see Lopez do most of his damage closer to the basket these days with Milwaukee’s reliance on floor spacing, but he showed last night that he is more than capable. Also shooting a flawless 4-for-4 from the line, the big man had himself a near-perfect night scoring the basketball in the win.
P.J. Tucker and Bryn Forbes play key roles off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks in win over Hornets
The Bucks’ bench has been all over the place in terms of consistency this season, but they undoubtedly had a pair of key contributors in Tuesday’s win.
Bryn Forbes was the first as he finished the game with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including going 3-for-6 from long range. The guard was scorching hot all night and provided an essential spark offensively throughout his 18-and-a-half minutes of action.
This performance is a welcoming sign after Forbes was a non-factor in the team’s loss to Atlanta, where he scored zero points on an abysmal 0-of-5 shooting. Seeing him bounce back and establish an immediate rhythm against the Hornets was a reassuring sign as he played a key part in providing some energy in the second unit.
Alongside him was P.J. Tucker, who logged just over 25 and a half minutes in this matchup, his most since being acquired by the team in late March. Finishing with five points on 2-of-3 shooting and hauling in five rebounds throughout that frame, the stat sheet cannot accurately reflect the major impact the 35-year-old had in this one.
The forward was playing unrelenting defensive throughout this contest, showing off that prowess that has earned him a reputation in this league. That defensive excellence kept Tucker in the game from 8:13 in the fourth quarter all the way down to 2:06 remaining, and his versatile fit next to Antetokounmpo eventually sealed the deal and picked up the win.
The Bucks traded for Tucker with the impression that he could bring that versatility to the table that would allow the team to experiment with lineups, and that was the case last night. It will be interesting to see how head coach Mike Budenholzer distributes minutes among the second unit moving forward as Tucker’s big night saw Pat Connaughton play just 14-and-a-half minutes, while Bobby Portis just 13 minutes total.
Despite nearly dropping another game due to their struggles late, this was a nice win for the Bucks. Their next stop will be Houston as the Bucks are set to square off against the Rockets on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CST. You can watch that one on Bally Sports Wisconsin for those living in the area.