There's no denying that Milwaukee Bucks wing AJ Green hasn't exactly looked like himself following the NBA All-Star break.
Prior to the break, Green was a lethal marksman, knocking down his open looks consistently. Many were even calling for him to start He has since dipped in reliability, as he's been missing great looks more often. This recent trend carried over into Milwaukee's matchup with the Sacramento Kings, at least for most of it.
Green missed his first three triples of the game, and they were excellent looks. With the game knotted at 80 as the third quarter neared an end, Green had a chance to put the Milwaukee Bucks on top with a wide-open triple, but he missed. Early in the fourth, with the Bucks down three, Green had a chance to tie things up, but he once again missed.
As a shooter, the best way to break out of a slump is to keep letting it fly, and that's what Green did, delivering for the Milwaukee Bucks late.
AJ Green redeems himself mid-game for the Milwaukee Bucks
Down by five with 9:30 to play, the Milwaukee Bucks needed a bucket. It felt like the Kings had gained some momentum, and an empty trip could spell trouble for Milwaukee. However, Green made sure to keep the Bucks in it, faking out Keon Ellis off a pass from the driving Kyle Kuzma before reestablishing himself and firing away from the corner.
Bang.
That was Green's only made shot of the night, but his impact down the stretch didn't stop there at all. Up by one, Green had himself an open look at a triple with just over five minutes to go, but he gave up the shot to Taurean Prince, who buried it from the corner. With 3:40 to go and down by a point, Green picked up another assist by finding Gary Trent Jr., who has been hot lately, for a huge 3-point make.
Those two assists, as well as the 3-pointer, led to key makes that helped the Milwaukee Bucks storm back and secure a 114-108 victory over the Kings. Green struggled throughout most of the contest, but he made up for it late in a win, and that's what ultimately matters.
Green isn't off the hook quite yet, as he's still locked in a bit of a shooting slump, but hopefully he can build off his late heroics in this game as he tries to snap out of it.
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