Leading up to Friday's matchup with the OKC Thunder, the Milwaukee Bucks had plenty of questions on their injury report, with a good portion of the roster listed.
Ultimately, all of the core components outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, dealing with a calf strain, and Damian Lillard, who is battling an adductor issue, gave it a go. That left the Bucks shorthanded against one of the best teams in the Western Conference, and it was too much for them to overcome.
The Thunder just had more firepower, overpowering the Bucks throughout to eventually snatch a win on their home floor with a final score of 125-107.
1 Significant silver lining from the Milwaukee Bucks' loss to the OKC Thunder
With two crucial cogs missing, more shots were going to be available for the taking from other Bucks, and one player people had their eyes on was Malik Beasley. The guard has been stuck in the mud as of late, struggling to see anything go through the net. It's been so bad that he was recently moved to the second unit, where he will likely remain when the team is essentially intact.
Beasley didn't get up significantly more shots than he normally would, but he was quite aggressive vs. the Thunder and put up some quality numbers. The guard logged 17 points, his most since March 28, shooting an extremely efficient 7-of-10 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from deep. In what has been a troubling string of games production-wise lately, this outing was a breath of fresh air for Beasley.
With one regular season game left on the schedule, Beasley must finish off strong and carry over this momentum into the postseason, where the Milwaukee Bucks will need him. This was a big silver lining.
Elsewhere, Khris Middleton had a solid night with 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and a steal. Shooting an efficient 7-of-10 from the floor, Middleton hit an array of tough jumpers, finding himself in an excellent groove. Like Beasley, he must keep his foot on the gas and bring this type of play to the big stage, including a big game on Sunday against the Orlando Magic.
This is ridiculous, Khris! pic.twitter.com/ihVIOr3svU
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 13, 2024
Brook Lopez matched Middleton in the points department with 18, shooting 7-of-14 from the floor but just 2-of-7 from behind the arc.
On the other side of the ball, MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 23 points, though the Bucks held him to 7-of-21 shooting. Rookie Chet Holmgren had 22 points and nine rebounds, while Aaron Wiggins provided a huge spark off the bench with 19 points. It was a night where the Thunder were simply firing on all cylinders.
The Bucks now have one regular season game left on the schedule, a crucial one against the Magic that will determine their seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.