In their quest to add more veteran-oriented talent, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Jae Crowder and Joe Ingles within the span of a few months.
Both players have been tremendous additions to this roster, and they have quickly become a pair of the most important role players in town. If one needs proof, look no further than Milwaukee’s most recent outing, a 116-104 win over the Phoenix Suns. With the Bucks down Khris Middleton, Grayson Allen, and Goran Dragic, other players would have to step up, and these two did just that, especially late in the ball game.
Jae Crowder and Joe Ingles come up clutch to help the Bucks beat Suns
After failing to close a couple of games lately, fans were clamoring for the Bucks to insert Crowder into the closing lineup. Coach Mike Budenholzer obliged by sending Crowder into the contest with 5:31 to play as the Bucks led by four.
Crowder played his strong brand of defense down the stretch, having hounded his matchup in the final few minutes. The forward got in on the action offensively, having sunk a dagger 3-pointer at the 1:24 mark, which put Milwaukee up 13 points. After getting a buzzer beat hit over him to close the third quarter, Crowder seemed even more motivated than he already was to take down his old team. While Crowder’s numbers were not the gaudiest, his two-way impact was on display in the final five and a half minutes as he helped the Bucks close this one out.
Ingles shared the floor with Crowder late, having checked in with 6:48 to play. In those final seven minutes, Ingles made his presence felt by knocking down a 3-pointer, delivering three assists, and hauling in a rebound. Ingles’ passing was tremendous late, having started things off by finding an open Pat Connaughton for a triple to put the Bucks up three almost immediately after checking in. He notched his other two assists on passes to a cutting Brook Lopez, a player Ingles seems to be developing chemistry with. Ingles also sunk a three with 4:45 to play to put the Bucks up nine and tally his sixth point of the game.
Though Crowder and Ingles did not close this game by themselves, they certainly helped the Bucks do it. The importance of this duo was on full display, and hopefully these two can continue to be in certain closing lineups moving forward. Crowder’s defensive presence and capable 3-point shot make him a perfect fifth player in this lineup, which he showed against the Suns. Ingles might not be the defender Crowder is, but his tremendous passing and 3-point shooting make him a key cog whenever he is on the floor. These two veterans should only continue to be extremely important for this Milwaukee team.
Keep an eye on the Bucks’ Jae Crowder-Joe Ingles tandem moving forward.