It was fun while it lasted, but the Milwaukee Bucks’ six-game winning streak came to an end last night at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
Things went back and forth between these two teams throughout the first quarter, with the score being tied up at 28 after the first 12 minutes. However, the Warriors caught fire during the second quarter and built up a double-digit lead over the Bucks, which increased throughout another brutal third quarter for the defending champions. Despite several spirited attempts by the Bucks to make things more competitive in the second half, the Warriors never surrendered the lead over the final 24 minutes and secured a 122-109 victory on their home floor.
Given how well the Bucks had been playing lately, this double-digit loss was a tough one to watch, as there were certainly plenty of issues on display. With that said, let us take a closer look at a few of those issues, as well as a positive, with some takeaways from the contest.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ were dominated on the glass by the Golden State Warriors last night, which is a rare occurrence
Pulling down 46.8 rebounds per game this season, the second-most in the association, the Bucks have been one of the best rebounding teams in the league. However, one would not have guessed that last night by watching them play, as the Warriors manhandled them by attacking the glass on both ends of the court all game long. Following a frustrating 48 minutes, the undersized Warriors had outrebounded the Bucks 55-39, which is certainly shocking.
Jonathan Kuminga led the way for Golden State by pulling down 11 rebounds, six defensively and five offensively to make his presence felt. Kevon Looney followed with nine rebounds of his own, while an eye-catching four different Warriors pulled down six rebounds apiece, as Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and Nemanja Bjelica all made an impact on the glass. Lastly, it was a solid rebounding night for both Stephen Curry and Moses Moody, who grabbed five boards each. Aside from Looney, none of these players are towering, which made things more frustrating.
Meanwhile, the Bucks were well below their season average as no player pulled down double-digit rebounds versus the Warriors. Giannis Antetokounmpo was the closest with eight rebounds, while Bobby Portis and Serge Ibaka followed with six apiece. Ultimately, it appeared as if the Bucks were in need of some extra juice in the rebounding department last night as their effort level was not up to their usual standards, while the Warriors were fired up for this prime-time matchup. The Bucks suffered the consequences for it in the end as this rebounding disparity proved fatal in the loss.
Given how good the Milwaukee Bucks have been on the glass this year, hopefully this is just a blip performance, as rebounding can be one of their most powerful weapons.