3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ commanding win over Chicago Bulls
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks convincingly took down their Central Division rival despite a rare low-scoring performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the talk of the NBA world lately as he has made a late push for MVP while also making a run at the scoring title for this season. He had been dominating recently, but Antetokounmpo took more of a step back last night as he had one of his quieter performances of the season in this big-time victory.
Offensively, Antetokounmpo did not even attempt a shot attempt in the first quarter as he saw his teammates were in a great groove and deferred to them. The Greek Freak did get more involved as the game went on, having finished with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting overall in his 24 minutes of action. With players like Allen, Matthews, Portis, and Khris Middleton all scoring the ball as well as they did in this one, Antetokounmpo was able to sit back and get his teammates involved, and the results speak for themselves as he dished out seven assists. It did not help that he got into early foul trouble, but with everyone playing as well as they did, Antetokounmpo managed to catch his breath on the bench rather than be forced back in as his minutes were far below par.
Though this performance may hinder Antetokounmpo’s MVP case while also lessening his odds at the scoring title, it was welcoming to see the other Bucks step up all night. It shows the depth and overall talent that this roster possesses, which will be pivotal as the playoffs are set to begin soon.
Looking specifically at last night, Antetokounmpo took a backseat to Middleton, who had a quality game with 19 points and five assists. Middleton has been struggling to find a groove offensively lately, and last night allowed him to see more time with the ball to try and snap that slump. There were still some struggles on display from Middleton, but the Bucks need him to get going over the next three games, and last night was a step in the right direction.
It is always an incredibly positive sign to see the Bucks win by 20+ when Antetokounmpo plays less than 24 minutes.