No one saw this coming — not after a forgettable regular season, not after watching him fall behind guys like AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. in the pecking order. But in the season finale, Pat Connaughton reminded everyone why he's stuck around with the Milwaukee Bucks this long.
In a gritty 140-133 overtime win over the short-handed Detroit Pistons, Connaughton erupted for 43 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
It wasn't just the numbers; it was how he got them. He made five threes. He dunked in traffic. He ran the break like it was 2021 again. This wasn’t empty stat padding; it was a full-service performance from a player whose role has quietly shrunk over the past year but who still knows how to make winning plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Of course, one would wish that he had shown this a lot sooner than he did. But what fans saw proves this to be true: Planet Pat showed everyone that "Connie's Corner" is still open for business.
Pat Connaughton was once Milwaukee's most important depth piece
It’s easy to forget that Connaughton was once one of the most trusted postseason rotation guys in the Giannis era. That Finals run? He played 30.0 minutes a night and hit 44.1 percent of his shots from deep. Since then, injuries and depth additions have clouded his role. But Sunday was a hard reminder: when he's locked in, he still brings exactly what this Milwaukee Bucks team needs.
The Bucks need shooting around Giannis, full stop. They need someone who can fly around on defense, crash the glass and move the ball in flow. Connaughton gave them all of that against Detroit. He hit catch-and-shoot threes, including his patented corner bombs. He finished tough layups. He made the extra pass. He played like a guy who hasn’t forgotten how to contribute when it matters.
Whether this explosion was enough to earn him a real playoff role remains to be seen considering the rotation is extremely crowded and situational at this point. It's not hard to admit either that AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. are better shooters, Taurean Prince is a better defender, and Kevin Porter Jr. is a better driver and finisher.
But at the same time, if Doc Rivers needs someone to plug in when the offense stalls or when spacing collapses around Giannis, Connaughton just made a damn strong case to be that guy, just like he was the last time the Milwaukee Bucks won a chip.
At the very least, he reminded everyone he’s still got juice. At best, he may have just written himself back into Milwaukee’s playoff script. Either way, the win was good for the Milwaukee Bucks and for Pat Connaughton.
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