3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ quality win over the Orlando Magic
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Big 3 combined for a dominant effort in the win over the Orlando Magic
Though the Bucks got a massive boost from their bench from DiVincenzo, Cousins, and Matthews, it was the leading trio that paved the way once again. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton combined to score 80 of Milwaukee’s 136 total points, each having clocked in yet another strong individual performance.
Antetokounmpo tallied 33 points on 59.1 percent shooting from the floor, with a sizeable chunk of that scoring coming in the fourth quarter. Heading into the period with 17 points, the Greek Freak took over and scored 16 points over the final 12 minutes, including the first six of the quarter for Milwaukee. In addition to his 33 points, Antetokounmpo stuffed the stat sheet with 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocked shots in just 31 minutes!
The two-time MVP got some help from Holiday, who continued his recent hot streak by finishing with 25 points on an insanely efficient 8-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep. The guard was virtually unstoppable with the basketball in his hands, which has become a trend lately. That sensational scoring effort may overshadow the fact that he also poured in five, seven assists, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots. What more does Holiday need to do to solidity his spot in the All-Star game this season? The list has to be shrinking for the guard.
Last but certainly not least was Khris Middleton, who rounded up the trio by adding in 22 points, three rebounds, and six assists. The forward has been looking for a rhythm offensively over the past few weeks, and this could be the type of performance he needed to get the ball rolling as the Bucks head into the New Year. While he might not get the recognition this season, games like this show that Middleton is undeniably still an All-Star player in this league.
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Milwaukee’s trio will look to keep their win streak going strong in 2022 as they look to get some revenge on the New Orleans Pelicans this Saturday. Be sure to catch the action at 5:30 p.m. CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin.