Once again, rising guard comes through in Milwaukee Bucks' win over Brooklyn Nets

Coming off a hard-fought loss against the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks returned home to face the Brooklyn Nets.

Although Khris Middleton would be out of the lineup, Giannis Antetokounmpo was deemed available after missing the previous two with a hamstring issue.

This was an incredibly turbulent game, as the Bucks went up by 20 right before the half and were on their way to certain victory, it appeared. However, not only did the Nets fight back, but they took the lead midway through the fourth. Yet, the home team kept their composure and hit right back, taking the lead and never letting it go.

When the final horn sounded, the Milwaukee Bucks walked off the court 115-108 winners.

Once again, rising guard comes through in Milwaukee Bucks' win over Brooklyn Nets

Since Doc Rivers took over as coach, sophomore guard AJ Green has seen a more consistent role, and game like this showcase why that is a wise move. In just a tick under 14 minutes, Green finished with 15 points off of the bench courtesy of five made 3-pointers. The guard is certainly not bashful about shooting the long ball, and the Bucks are reaping the benefits.

Green has earned his stripes in this rotation not only due to his shooting but also with his improved defensive play and constant hustle. He should be a key cog down the stretch for Milwaukee.

The youngster was not the only guard teeing up triples, as Damian Lillard joined him with five threes of his own. Lillard, who is finding his stride at the perfect time, finished with 30 points, 12 assists and two steals to lead the Bucks, showcasing his offensive arsenal by attacking inside the arc while also heaving shots from the logo like in the clip below.

Lillard's defense also needs to be highlighted, as he held Brooklyn Nets players to 5-of-14 shooting (35.7 percent) while forcing four turnovers and grabbing two steals, per NBA.com. He's certainly not an All-Defensive type of that side of things, but when he's on, he can make a sizeable impact.

In his return, Giannis Antetokounmpo looked a bit rusty, and understandably so, but he still notched 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots. The Greek Freak should shake off this rust the more he plays, and hopefully this hamstring issue does not linger.

Meanwhile, after struggling so mightily against the Boston Celtics, it was nice to see Brook Lopez bounce back, tallying 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep. His scroing can be an X-factor for this Milwaukee team when he's this efficient. On that same note, Malik Beasley added his own share to the pot, as he had 16 points, most of which surprisingly came from inside the arc.

On the other side of the ball, the Nets had three scorers go over 20 points, with Mikal Bridges leading with 24. Yet, their entire bench scored just 19 points, and Green's strong effort nearly combatted that by himself.

This was a great win for the Bucks, who are still looking for consistency in the lineup, as the Big 3 has not shared the court together since February 3. They still have another gear to find.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.