3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ sizeable win over Houston Rockets
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks got a pair of fantastic performances from two players on non-guaranteed deals in win vs. Houston Rockets
Despite Middleton’s return, the Bucks were still without three regular starters for this matchup with the Rockets, meaning other players would be forced to step up.
One of those players was DeMarcus Cousins, who was notching yet another start for the Bucks. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and now Sandro Mamukelashvili, along with the obvious absence of Brook Lopez, Cousins was the lone big man for the Bucks last night. Well, he certainly embraced the challenge as he clocked in his best performance since joining the Bucks by scoring 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Three of those misses came from behind the arc as he is still looking for a groove from out there, but Cousins still impressed offensively. He nearly tallied a double-double as well with eight rebounds, leaving his mark all over the game.
Wesley Matthews followed in those footsteps as he returned to the lineup following an extended absence due to the league’s health and safety protocols. In his long-awaited return, the swingman was downright sensational off the bench as he erupted for 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-5 from 3-point territory. There was no rust whatsoever from Matthews after his absence, as this was undeniably his best outing during his second stint with the Bucks thus far. Not only was he scoring the ball all night, but he was playing with unmatched intensity and tough defense while showing that he was willing to sacrifice his body by taking charges and making the other hustle plays. It is great to have Matthews back in Milwaukee once again.
The thing about these two is that they were both brought aboard midseason on non-guaranteed contracts with the Bucks. Both were just sitting at home waiting for that phone call from a team, and they are now playing major minutes while producing at a high level on one of the league’s top contenders. Cousins and Matthews will continue to play pivotal roles for the Bucks this year, and last night’s game showed that they can undoubtedly make an impact when given the chance.