3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ nail-biting win over OKC Thunder
By Dalton Sell
It will take time for Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday to fully regain their footing for the Milwaukee Bucks after another struggle-filled outing
Both Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have missed time for the Bucks this season with their own individual issues, so they have struggled to be themselves early.
This matchup versus the Thunder was Middleton’s second game back after missing eight straight after recently testing positive for COVID-19. No one expected Middleton to return to the lineup as if he had never left right from the jump, and these past two games have been all about finding his footing. The forward is still looking for his shot as he went just 5-of-13 from the floor in this one, which included 3-of-8 from deep. Milwaukee’s typical closer was not himself in the fourth quarter as he shot just 1-of-4, although that one make was a clutch triple. Despite these struggles, there is obviously no reason to panic just yet, as it will take time for Middleton to get back up to speed.
As for Holiday, he has struggled to find a groove since returning from a laundry list of injuries and an illness several games ago. His struggles persisted once against last night as the guard tallied a mere 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, including 1-of-4 from deep. Unlike Middleton, whose shots look good but just will not fall, Holiday’s shot selection has been questionable in these struggles. He certainly loves his jumpers, particularly from 3-point range, but he has been unable to buy a basket from the perimeter over these past few games. Yet, he also continues struggling to finish at the rim, which has hindered his production and bogged down his percentages drastically.
For the Bucks to win a game where these two play so poorly is a rarity. Although these struggles, particularly Holiday’s, might be frustrating, it will take time for the tandem to get back up to par after their early injuries and illnesses. This was just the fourth game that these two shared the court for the Bucks this season, so some rust should be expected.