3 takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks’ ugly loss to Cleveland Cavaliers
By Dalton Sell
On the final day of the NBA’s 2021-22 regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks took the court in the Rocket Mortgage Field House to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers more understaffed than usual.
The defending champions were without virtually every regular rotation player for this one as they had their sights set on the postseason. The lone starter that suited up was Jrue Holiday, but it did not last long as the guard played a grand total of eight seconds so he could get a solid bonus that involved playing at least 67 games this season. Following Holiday’s eight seconds of game action, the Bucks used this opportunity to take a look at some players that might not typically see much playing time on a regular basis, and there were some intriguing performances from the bunch.
While the Bucks rolled out a short-handed lineup, the Cavaliers were all systems go as this game could have helped them move up in the current play-in picture. Knowing that a win could possibly help their positioning, the Cavaliers took advantage of the undermanned Bucks and manhandled them, building up a victory as large as 40 points in the third quarter. Though Milwaukee valiantly made a late comeback attempt that cut it to a 12-point deficit, Cleveland ultimately held them off and secured the 133-115 victory over their Central Division rival.
With that said, let us take a closer look at three takeaways from Milwaukee’s ugly loss.
Newcomer Rayjon Tucker impressed as he played a prominent role for the Milwaukee Bucks in their loss to Cleveland Cavaliers
The Bucks recently filled their last roster spot by signing Rayjon Tucker, a long-time player for the Wisconsin Herd, their G-League affiliate. After playing just two minutes in Milwaukee’s recent win over the Detroit Pistons, Tucker saw a far more significant role against Cleveland, and he certainly took advantage of the opportunity.
Tucker’s most notable contribution was his scoring effort, as he chipped in 15 points off the bench. Having shot 5-of-7 overall, including 3-of-3 from behind the arc, Tucker looked comfortable in just his second game with the Bucks as he consistently attacked offensively. Yet, he did more than just score as Tucker also handed out four assists while tallying one turnover in the contest. Elsewhere, Tucker added four rebounds, four assists, and two steals to his total in 39 minutes of game action.
Given that this was just his second game with the Bucks and his first with a genuine opportunity, this effort from Tucker was incredibly impressive. He was fearless on the offensive end while also bringing some intensity on defense, which gave the Bucks a sizeable spark off the bench over the course of this game. Though it is just one game, Tucker has potential written all over him, and if he can build off this performance, the Milwaukee Bucks may have found a hidden gem.