Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 141-133 win over Houston Rockets
By Dalton Sell
Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis step up in the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Rockets
With Giannis Antetokounmpo having a relatively quiet game against the Rockets, Brook Lopez stepped up and delivered one of his better performances of the year.
The big man finished with a team-high 24 points and shot a highly efficient 7-of-8 from the floor, his only miss coming from behind the arc. It is not often that Lopez finishes a game leading the Bucks in scoring, but it was well earned this time as he had everything clicking.
Doing a large portion of his work on the inside, Lopez’s aggressiveness earned him several trips to the free throw line, where he made good by shooting 9-for-10. In addition to his dynamic scoring outing, Lopez hauled in seven rebounds and blocked a pair of shots to cap off a fantastic performance in just under 25 minutes.
The Bucks got an extra boost in the frontcourt from Bobby Portis off the bench, who finished with 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting (1-for-2 from distance). Having snatched five of his eight rebounds on the offensive end, Portis was relentless in making his presence felt on the floor all evening.
Portis had struggled mightily in Milwaukee’s previous two games after returning to the lineup from an illness after having scored a combined 14 points against both the Nets and the Washington Wizards. As he stands as the Bucks’ most productive piece off the bench this year, it was welcoming to see him finally shake that short-lived cold spell. The team undoubtedly missed that energetic spark he provides nightly, but it seems safe to say that Portis is back up to speed.