Following an eventful win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, the Milwaukee Bucks were back in action less than 24 hours later as the Sacramento Kings came to town.
Both teams entered the contest shorthanded as the Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Grayson Allen, and Brook Lopez, while the Kings did not have star guard De’Aaron Fox. That made things interesting as both teams had to adjust significantly without several crucial components at their disposal. Depth from both sides would prove pivotal in this one, and ultimately, Milwaukee’s proved to be the winning side. After 48 minutes of back and forth basketball, the Bucks ultimately managed to win the matchup with a final score of 133-127. With that said, let us break down the three biggest takeaways from the game.
Pat Connaughton provided a massive boost in the Milwaukee Bucks’ starting five without Giannis Antetokounmpo available
Without Antetokounmpo in the lineup, Pat Connaughton received the nod at the starting power forward slot in his absence. Though no one expected him to fill the two-time MVP’s huge shoes, the Bucks would need a strong performance from Connaughton, and he delivered.
Offensively, the guard did all of his damage from behind the arc as he shot a red-hot 5-of-10 from long range. His biggest triple of the night came with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth, where the Bucks led by just four points. With several Kings closing in on him in the corner, his final 3-point make of the night put the Bucks up by seven and ultimately helped them seal the deal. His 15 points were all welcoming as he contributed five of Milwaukee’s 21 made threes for the game.
Equally as important, Connaughton was incredibly active on the glass and defensively. He pulled in five rebounds throughout his 29 minutes of action, all of which helped mightily for the undersized Bucks. Defensively, the two-guard turned power forward did his part to keep the Kings in check as he held his own, but he also notched an eye-catching four steals, helping the Bucks get their share of extra opportunities.
Overall, it was yet another stellar performance from Connaughton. He has become Mr. Reliable for the defending champions, embracing his role no matter where he is asked to play. He certainly did everything possible to step up with the Greek Freak and Allen not available.