3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ big win versus Golden State Warriors
By Dalton Sell
After losing four out of their last five games, things would not be getting any easier for the Milwaukee Bucks as they welcomed the surging Golden State Warriors to town. This would be a significant test for the Bucks, particularly with Jrue Holiday still sidelined with his ankle soreness. Well, it seems safe to say that they passed the test with flying colors.
The Bucks came out of the gates with something to prove, looking like a well-oiled machine on the offensive end and completely in-sync defensively. When the first half ended, the Bucks claimed an impressive 77-38 lead. According to NBA.com/stats, Golden State’s 39 point halftime deficit was their largest since the franchise moved to California back in the 1962-63 season.
Milwaukee’s dominance carried over into the second half as they cruised to a 118-99 victory over a tough Western Conference opponent. Given how poorly the Bucks have played lately, this win is just what they needed to build some momentum in what looks like a very tough stretch ahead. With all that being said, let us take a look at three takeaways from last night’s game.
The Milwaukee Bucks did a fantastic job of limiting “The Splash Brothers”
For the first time in a long time, both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson would be out on the floor for the Warriors against the Bucks. Of course, Thompson has been sidelined the past two seasons with injuries, but he has returned to the lineup recently and is working his way back. All eyes were on the Bucks to see if they could keep these two in check, which they did to perfection.
Curry, who is having an MVP-caliber season, was virtually a non-factor in this one as he tallied a mere 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-6 from three in 29 minutes. The guard could not find a rhythm all night long, partially because he was being hounded by the Bucks defensively wherever he went on the floor at all times. One player whose effort particularly stood out was Wesley Matthews, who played aggressive defense on the two-time MVP whenever he got the chance. Having Matthews back in Milwaukee has been a tremendous boost for the Bucks this season, and his ability to take on top-tier defensive assignments like this is primarily why.
As for Thompson, this was his third game back in Golden State’s lineup, and he would not see much success either. The guard scored just 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-7 from 3-point territory as he also received that same persistent defensive approach from the Bucks all game. Thompson played just 20 minutes as the Warriors are looking to ease him back into things, but a game like this undoubtedly was a tough one for him.
Ultimately, the effort could not have been better by the Bucks. Limiting these two was the most important key to getting a victory heading into the matchup, and they did just that.