It was not pretty towards the end, but the Milwaukee Bucks finally got above .500 this season after defeating the Orlando Magic last night.
The defending champions are now 9-8 on the season following a 117-108 victory over Orlando and have won their last three consecutive games. That is Milwaukee’s longest winning streak of the season to this point, which certainly shines a light on the injuries and illnesses they have had to maneuver through early on. There were some bumps in the road to make it three straight, but here are three takeaways from last night’s win over the Magic.
The Milwaukee Bucks may have a fourth-quarter problem as they take nearly blow a sizeable lead for the second consecutive game
Just when it seems like the Bucks have a game finished, they take their foot off the gas and make things far too close for comfort. This was precisely the case as they had a 29-point lead late in the third quarter last night, only for things to turn nearly disastrous in the fourth and final period. The Magic battled all the way back from virtually the point of no return to cut their deficit to six points with just a tick over two minutes remaining.
Thankfully, Milwaukee avoided total embarrassment as they held off Orlando’s late push and got the win, but giving up a whopping 37 points in the fourth is far from appealing. The Bucks just did not carry that same intensity to the fourth that had been on full display throughout the first three quarters, and it nearly came back to bite them in what would have been an all-time collapse. Sure, one game like this might be fine to put in the rearview, but the Bucks did the exact same thing the night before as the OKC Thunder came to town.
The Bucks had a 20 point lead at one point in Friday’s matchup, but the Thunder clawed their way back into it and trailed by just two late in the fourth. Just as they did against the Magic, the Bucks managed to pull away late to secure the win, but it was another nail-biting finish that should not have been that close to begin with.
Third quarters have typically been the toughest for the Bucks this season, but these back-to-back near collapses in the fourth say that it might be the final 12 minutes that need fixing. It starts with keeping the same intensity throughout, which was not the case in last night’s game with Orlando. The Bucks got the win, but it will be worth monitoring whether this becomes a trend or just a blip.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ sweet 3-point shooting against the Orlando Magic helps propel them to victory
The Bucks have struggled with their outside shooting this season, but they finally found a groove in last night’s meeting with the Magic. Shooting 19-of-40 (47.5 percent) from distance, the Bucks knocked down their second-most triples in a game this season, trailing only the 26 they hit in their recent win over the New York Knicks.
It was truly a team effort, but Bobby Portis deserves his own recognition for his shooting. The big man tied a career-high with six made 3-pointers as he could not miss for most of the night. Portis was a perfect 6-of-6 from deep in the fourth quarter when he went for a career-high by launching his seventh attempt, but it did not fall. Still, all six triples from Portis were greatly appreciated, and there will be more on his fantastic performance in a moment.
Although it was a tough shooting night by his typical standards, Grayson Allen followed Portis in 3-point makes with four on the night. Khris Middleton chipped in three triples on five attempts, while Jrue Holiday and Pat Connaughton added two each, while Giannis Antetokounmpo and George Hill each added one to the total. Although Portis did most of the damage, it was great to see practically everyone have their shot falling from the outside to total the team’s second-best shooting total on the season.
Given how poorly they have shot the long ball this season, hopefully this game can help spark some much-needed momentum moving forward.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis continue to be a lethal one-two punch for the Milwaukee Bucks
Amidst the team’s struggles to start the season, Antetokounmpo and Portis have proven to be a constant spark for the Bucks. Both have been playing at a high level, which has been especially true over this three-game winning streak, where the two have turned it up a notch.
Antetokounmpo propelled the Bucks to victory by scoring 32 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field, his most important bucket being a dagger dunk. The Greek Freak was in attack mode all night on the offensive end, and he was met with physicality as he went to the line for an astounding 23 free throw attempts, making 15 of them. Antetokounmpo has been aggressive as ever over these past few games in the winning streak, and the results are paying off.
Yet, he did far more than just score the basketball as he hauled in an eye-catching 20 of the team’s 60 rebounds while also handing out five assists. According to the NBA, Antetokounmpo is the first player since Willie Naulls in 1959 to record 30 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists in fewer than 35 minutes. Antetokounmpo played just a tick over 30. Incredible stuff as always from the reigning NBA Finals MVP. Still, all that does not even cover how great Antetokounmpo was on the opposite side of things as he tallied three blocked shots and two steals, making his presence felt all night.
Portis helped Antetokounmpo out by adding 24 points of his own, mostly propelled by his outside shooting. It was a season-high point total for the big man as he continues stepping up offensively each and every night with several typical players missing from the rotation. The same goes for his rebounding, as he also pulled down a season-high with 15. He was authoritative on the glass from start to finish, which was a welcoming sign, given how much teams have exposed the Bucks there without Brook Lopez. As Lopez remains sidelined, Portis will continue to play this heightened role, and he is proving that he is up for the challenge.
What Antetokounmpo and Portis have done over these past three games is incredible, and they must aim to keep it going for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Be sure to catch these two when they square off against the Orlando Magic again this Monday, where you can watch at 6:30 p.m. CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin.