3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ big win over OKC Thunder
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks received eye-catching performances from two reserves in Serge Ibaka and Jevon Carter
Two new Bucks that have rightfully caught some attention lately are Serge Ibaka and Jevon Carter. After coming aboard at the trade deadline and in the buyout market, everyone wanted to see how the two could help the defending champions, and they showed the world last night with a pair of strong performances.
Ibaka, fresh off his first double-double with the Bucks in his previous game, had himself another strong outing against the Thunder. Offensively, the big man had it going by scoring 14 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. After scoring 14 in his last game as well, it looks like Ibaka is starting to find his footing on the roster following a tough stretch to start his Bucks tenure. Whether he was attacking at the hoop or stretching the floor, Ibaka made a huge impact as the leading bench scorer last night.
In addition to his strong scoring night, Ibaka also helped in the rebounding department and then on the defensive end. The towering Ibaka pulled down seven boards in total, three of which came on the offensive end to give the Bucks extra opportunities. Defensively, the veteran imposed his will in the post all night and came up with two massive blocked shots against his former team in the Thunder. It is the second consecutive game where Ibaka has notched multiple blocks, and it appears he is coming along on that side of the basketball as well.
Meanwhile, the Bucks also got an outstanding effort from Carter, who had his best game with the team to date. The guard scored 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from long range, having looked more than confident with the looks from start to finish. That 3-point shot is what may make Carter one of the several wild cards on this Milwaukee roster, but he did far more than just shoot the ball as he tallied four assists, three rebounds, and two assists in his 25-and-a-half minutes last night. It was a strong performance for Carter on all fronts and it should bode well for his chances to keep playing a key role for the Milwaukee Bucks moving forward.
Both Ibaka and Carter look like they can be consistent contributors off the Bucks’ bench this year.