It took them three tries, but the Milwaukee Bucks finally picked up their first win of the preseason with a statement win last night.
Returning to Fiserv Forum for the first time since their triumphant Game 6 win back on July 20th, the Bucks welcomed in the OKC Thunder for what looked to be a fun matchup. Ultimately, it was all Milwaukee from start to finish as they cruised to a dominant 130-110 victory, looking like the defending champions that they are. Of course, this was just a preseason game, so this victory will not command too much overreaction, but there is still plenty for fans to be optimistic about after the win. With that being said, here are the three biggest takeaways from the win last night.
Grayson Allen earns the spotlight in the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over OKC Thunder
After missing Milwaukee’s second preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets last Friday night, Grayson Allen returned to the starting five Sunday.
It looked like the extra rest did him good as the guard was energetic as ever in the win over OKC. Allen finished the contest with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-7 on shots from behind the arc. He showed off his versatility on the offensive end as he knocked down three triples, but also took the ball inside to score. While he has a crafty reverse layup that called for some applause from the Fiserv Forum crowd, his most notable contribution of the night was an emphatic one-handed slam dunk in the first half to get the crowd full-on cheering.
Drop the hammer, Grayson!! pic.twitter.com/QbEmiWSB1X
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 11, 2021
Allen’s offense was fantastic in the win, but he also made some smaller plays elsewhere to help the Bucks secure the win. While he has never been known as an elite defender, Allen turned some heads when he blocked a shot with authority early on in the contest, showing off the hops. That is certainly one way to try and win over the home crowd. The young guard kept his foot on the gas in this one from start to finish, and his energy and intensity stood out in the victory. Some fans have not warmed up to Allen entirely yet, but the more he plays, the more those fans should open up to embrace the 23-year-old.