Following their thrilling overtime win versus the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks flew home to face the LA Clippers on Friday.
Given the circumstances, a handful of key rotational players were out of the lineup for this contest, which included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Brook Lopez. While the pair were not listed on the injury report, Grayson Allen and Wesley Matthews also did not take the court for this one, leaving the Bucks without a hefty portion of the roster available to play. LA was also without several regulars in Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell, which made for an interesting game between these two teams.
After exchanging leads throughout the first quarter and a half, the Clippers took off and dominated the remainder of the game, having built up a lead as big as 43. LA’s Robert Covington had quite the night as he scored 43 points on 11-of-18 shooting from behind the arc, having torched the Bucks’ undermanned defense all game long. Covington’s outstanding night helped propel a 153-119 win for the Clippers, which marked a new franchise high for Los Angeles. While there will never be too many memorable things in a 34-point blowout loss, let us take a closer look at three takeaways from the matchup.
Jordan Nwora’s potential was on full display as he clocked in a team-high 28 points for the Milwaukee Bucks
Jordan Nwora has not seen the floor too often for the Milwaukee Bucks lately, but with a large portion of the lineup out, he received the starting nod.
The forward showed very little sign of rust as he scored a team-high 28 points, having shot an efficient 10-of-16 (62.5 percent) from the floor, including 3-of-5 (60 percent) from long range. Whether he was attacking the rim or letting it fly from behind the arc, Nwora looked confident with whatever shot he took from start to finish as the 23-year-old tied a season-high in points, matching his total from a December matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In addition to scoring, Nwora made an impact elsewhere by hauling in four rebounds and a block in 40 minutes played.
When Nwora receives a significant opportunity like this in games where the Bucks are without a handful of key players, he oftentimes shines. That was certainly the case last night as the young forward showed off his untapped potential with a more prominent opportunity. Scoring has been Nwora’s bread and butter since his days at the collegiate level, and last night’s game showcased his ability to do it at the highest level.
It seems unlikely that Nwora could carve out a role for himself in the regular rotation this late in the regular season, but this strong performance last night undoubtedly turned some heads.