3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ tough loss to the Memphis Grizzlies
By Dalton Sell
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton both returned to the court for the Milwaukee Bucks last night and delivered mixed performances
After missing the previous game against the Washington Wizards, both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton returned to the Bucks’ lineup last night.
Antetokounmpo struggled to find his footing early on, having missed a few shots right at the rim that would typically be guaranteed for him. Despite the subpar start, Antetokounmpo eventually got back into the swing of things and finished with 30 points on 55 percent field goal shooting, a significant portion of which came in the third period. With the Bucks hanging around, Giannis did his part to try and lift his team back into the game by scoring 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting in just nine-and-a-half third-quarter minutes.
Antetokounmpo’s free throw shooting through the game was among the few bright spots as he shot 8-of-10 (80 percent) on the night, helping him notch yet another 30 point game. In addition to his scoring, Antetokounmpo was active elsewhere as he tallied 11 rebounds, handed out four assists, and blocked four shots to finish with a solid line.
Middleton, on the other hand, struggled to stay consistent from start to finish. After a red-hot first quarter where he scored nine points on 3-of-5 shooting, the forward scored seven more points on an inefficient 2-of-11 shooting over the final three quarters. Middleton showed signs of rust after dealing with some wrist soreness over the past few games as his shooting was hit or miss. While Middleton did deliver five assists, he had issues handling the ball as well as he also accounted for five of Milwaukee’s 13 total turnovers due to some sloppy passing and head-scratching decisions.
Though the pair had their share of struggles, it was great to see them back out on the floor for the Bucks, nevertheless. Hopefully they utilized that game to shake off the rust that had built up while they were both out of the lineup.