Coming off a very hectic matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks aimed to have a much calmer game versus another Central Division rival in the Detroit Pistons.
Indeed, this game was far more smooth sailing for Milwaukee, who took an immediate lead and never let go of it throughout the game. The Bucks were dominant throughout the matchup, getting several tremendous performances from a handful of players, which helped pave the way to a 146-114 win on their home floor. Meanwhile, the Piston extended their losing streak to 23 games.
Bobby Portis, young Milwaukee Bucks help fuel dominant win over Detroit Pistons
With Khris Middleton and Malik Beasley both out of the lineup, Coach Adrian Griffin called upon two young Bucks in Andre Jackson Jr. and MarJon Beauchamp to start. While that opportunity could be daunting for some young players, these two undeniably embrace the chance to run with the starters and get things going early on.
Beauchamp kicked things off by scoring the first seven points of the game via two free throws, an outside shot, and a sweet putback layup. He finished with nine in the period, while Jackson chipped in five of his own in the first to go along with three rebounds. Jackson showed his versatility by hitting a tough layup and then knocking down an open triple in the corner.
In total, Beauchamp finished with 11 points, six rebounds, two steals, and an assist. Meanwhile, the younger Jackson had 10 points and eight rebounds, both of which were career-highs for the rookie, to go with an assist. Both players logged a season-high in minutes, giving them a chance to show what they can do with an extended opportunity, which some Bucks fans have been asking for.
The young guys weren't the only players to clock in quality efforts, as Bobby Portis, who had quite the game against the Pacers before being ejected, immediately gave this team a lift. The big man scored a season-high 31 points, shooting 61.1 percent from the floor while hitting four triples. He also had 12 rebounds to cap off an impressive double-double off the bench.
Per StatMuse, he is just the fifth player in NBA history to record those numbers off the bench in an NBA game.
Despite his tremendous night, Portis was not Milwaukee's leading scorer, as that honor went to the starting point guard, Damian Lillard. After a slow start, Lillard started cooking, particularly from the perimeter, having sunk six triples, the most he's made in a Bucks uniform yet. The guard finished with 33 points, five assists, and four rebounds in one of his best games with the Bucks to date.
Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't have another historic night, but he clocked in a solid performance with 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists as he let his teammates do the hefty lifting.
Brook Lopez had just five points, but he was dominant on the defensive end with five blocked shots, having protected the rim all night long.
In addition to Portis, the Bucks got several nice performances off of the bench, including 11 points and five assists from Cameron Payne. A.J. Green notched nine points on three made 3-pointers, while Pat Connaughton tallied six points, four rebounds, two assists, and a blocked shot in his return after a lengthy battle with injury.
On the other side of things, Cade Cunningham led the way with 25 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic had 24. Three other Pistons finished in double figures, but it was not enough.
Ultimately, the Bucks handled business, as they should have.
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