Riding a perfect 6-0 record following the NBA All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks had been clicking as they visited the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
Right from the jump, things did not go Milwaukee's way. Though the team got Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup after he missed the recent win against the LA Clippers, this contest was all about the Warriors. After briefly trailing early, Golden State flipped a switch and dominated the remainder of the way, establishing a lead that was 35 at its largest.
The Warriors shot the lights out from deep, knocking in 19 of their 38 3-point attempts (48.7 percent). Some of those were just impressive makes by a few of the greatest shooters of all time, while others came from great looks due to cracks in Milwaukee's defense. The defensive effort took a major step back compared to how well the Bucks had been performing on that side of things lately.
When the final buzzer rang, the Warriors walked off the floor with a 125-90 victory.
Warriors rookie watched film of familiar foe to stifle Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
In his return to action, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 23 points on 53.3 percent shooting, which is quiet by his standards. A massive reason for the was the swarming defense, particularly by Warriors rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Antetokounmpo shot just 2-of-6 when defended by the rookie, who blocked him three separate times, per NBA.com.
After the game, Jackson-Davis said that he watched film of Blake Griffin guarding Antetokounmpo to prepare for the matchup. Particularly during his time with the Brooklyn Nets, Griffin was always a pest when defending Antetokounmpo. Though Antetokounmpo usually always won the battle, Griffin made it tough every possession, just like Jackson did consistently.
Trayce Jackson-Davis said he watched some Blake Griffin film defending Giannis in the lead up to his matchup with him tonight. Blocked him three times. pic.twitter.com/89lzlOP1XF
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 7, 2024
Credit to the rookie for a strong showing against one of the game's best.
Elsewhere, Damian Lillard logged 20 points, six assists and a steal and block apiece knocking down five 3-pointers. Bobby Portis had a strong showing off of the bench with 20 points and six rebounds as he continued a recent stretch of impressive play.
Outside of those two, it was a struggle for Milwaukee offensively. Brook Lopez logged nine points on 11 shot attempts. Jae Crowder had four points on six shot attempts. Malik Beasley had four points on 10 shot attempts, missing all six of his triple tries. Over his last five games, Beasley is now shooting a measly 9-of-35 (25.7 percent) from deep. Milwaukee needs their starting guard to shake this slump.
On the other side of the basketball, Stephen Curry was masterful, hitting six 3-pointers en route to a 29-point performance. The Bucks had no answer to youngster Jonathan Kuminga either, who used his incredible athleticism to pick apart Milwaukee's defense and get to the hoop. Jackson-Davis had a great game offensively on top of his defensive effort, clocking in 15 second-unit points.
Ultimately, this was an ugly loss for the Bucks and undoubtedly a bump in the road. In the midst of a tough schedule, all Milwaukee can do is put this one in the rearview mirror and look ahead.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.