
The Milwaukee Bucks hit the road to square off against the Brooklyn Nets in their second game of the preseason last night, and it was certainly an interesting contest.
The Bucks were without practically all of their typical players, leaving coach Mike Budenholzer to send out a lineup with a combined 11 NBA starts between the five of them. On the other hand, the Nets were basically at full strength aside from Kyrie Irving and Paul Millsap. That meant the Bucks would meet up with Kevin Durant and James Harden, and although they did not have players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, or Jrue Holiday, they still managed to make this game interesting, to say the least.
The young Bucks managed to keep the game close for four quarters, trading baskets down the stretch up until the final buzzer rang. Ultimately, the Nets would steal the victory with a 119-115 win, which sent the Bucks to 0-2 in the preseason. Despite the loss, there was plenty of things on display to be optimistic about, and here are three takeaways to show for it.
Elijah Bryant shines for the Milwaukee Bucks in preseason loss to Brooklyn Nets
After a lackluster showing against the Memphis Grizzlies in the preseason opener, Elijah Bryant needed to have a bounce-back game against the Nets. Bryant, who spent the playoffs with the Bucks last season, was among the training camp invites, and a strong showing in the preseason could help him get back on the roster full-time next year. He turned some heads against Brooklyn to try and make his case.
Bryant finished with 21 points, the second-most on the team, on an impressive 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-4 from deep. With the Bucks trailing to start the fourth quarter, the guard immediately provided a spark offensively by scoring 10 of the team’s first 15 points in the period. He looked beyond confident in the process, looking to score the basketball aggressively whenever he had the chance. The guard has shown scoring potential before, but this was his best performance to date in that regard.
While his scoring was what stood out the most, Bryant made an impact elsewhere by stuffing the stat sheet. He totaled eight rebounds, an assist, two steals, and a blocked shot in his 29 and a half minutes of game action, doing everything for his team in the second unit. It was a solid all-around game for the guard, despite his efforts coming up just short. The Bucks have shown that they are very high on the 26-year-old, and he will look to keep these efforts consistent to prove them right.