After dropping consecutive games vs. the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks needed a win against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Milwaukee was also looking for revenge on Brooklyn, who bested them earlier this season. This time around, the Bucks were indeed able to come out on top, though it was far from easy. These two went back and forth from start to finish, exchanging leads constantly. Yet, even after falling behind by 12 in the third quarter, the Bucks kept fighting.
Outscoring the Nets 32-27 in the final frame, the Bucks secured a win to get above .500 again with a 118-113 victory.
With all that said, let us highlight some studs and duds from the matchup.
Stud - Giannis Antetokounmpo
After a game filled with some questionable decisions against the Celtics, Giannis Antetokounmpo needed to come out and control this game. He did. The Greek Freak had a complete and efficient outing with 34 points on 63.6 percent shooting, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal.
His biggest play of the night came with 1:54 left to play. With Milwaukee up 109-108, Dennis Schroder drove to the lane and put up a floater, which was swatted by Antetokounmpo and recovered by fellow forward Khris Middleton. It was a masterful defensive play to keep the Bucks in front.
Stud - Bobby Portis
Bobby Portis has been under some (deserved) heat lately for his performance. Knowing he needed to get back on the right track, the big man had his best game of the year against Brooklyn, posting a line of 23 points, five rebounds and three blocks on an incredibly efficient 9-of-10 field goal shooting.
Portis was clutch in the fourth quarter particularly, sinking all four of his triples en route to a 12-point final frame. Even better, Portis had a clutch block on Schroder with 1:15 to play, which directly led to a dunk by Giannis Antetokounmpo, putting the Bucks up three.
One game does not erase Portis' past performances, but if he can build momentum off of this and get into a rhythm, he can change the narrative moving forward.
Stud - Gary Trent Jr.
It took a while for him to find his footing on a new team, but Gary Trent Jr. has turned over a new leaf over the last several contests. He's been a sparkplug off the bench, and he didn't do anything to alter that narrative with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting against the Nets.
With Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez both struggling to shoot the ball, Milwaukee needed someone to step up and put points on the board. Trent embraced the challenge, looking confident as he fired away time and time again, whether it was a spot-up or if he created the shot for himself.
Stud - Khris Middleton (In the fourth)
It wasn't the prettiest overall game for Khris Middleton, who shot 3-of-8 from the floor for 11 points, but he came to life down the stretch. Seven of his 11 points came in the final frame, with Middleton sinking a triple, burying a long two and hitting a pair of free throws to help seal the game.
In only his second game of the season, it is beyond welcoming to see Middleton being confident in his shot-making in these big moments. He's always been a lifeline in the clutch for this team, and, as this game showed, that will remain true. It's great to have Khris Middleton back.
Dud - Taurean Prince
After leaving Milwaukee's previous matchup against the Boston Celtics with an illness, Taurean Prince was back in the lineup to start against Brooklyn. It's unclear if he was still dealing with his illness or if he was back up to speed, but he didn't have his best game against the Nets.
Prince went scoreless in over 17 minutes, missing both of his 3-point attempts while also logging three fouls and a turnovers. He certainly wasn't flat-out horrendous, but compared to what the Bucks got from others, Taurean Prince had to land in this category. He will be better.