Following a brutal beatdown against the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks have now won their last three games.
The loss to the Knicks seemingly served as a wake-up call, as the Bucks have looked far more locked in throughout these matchups. One reason for this little surge involves them starting games red-hot.
The Milwaukee Bucks have come out firing in first quarters lately
Versus the Sacramento Kings, the Bucks outscored them 47-26 in the first. Facing the Orlando Magic the next night, Milwaukee was up 34-16 after one. In their most recent matchup against the Raptors, it was a 37-22 game with the Bucks in front after one. The Milwaukee Bucks are building up sizeable leads early, and the results speak for themselves with a 3-0 record in this stretch.
Unsurprisingly, the Milwaukee Bucks lead the NBA in first-quarter points per contest in this run by far, averaging 39.3 per game. Next up on the list is the Miami Heat at 34.7. The Bucks are a cut above the rest of the league in this particular statistic at the moment.
The primary reason behind these strong starts is the play from Milwaukee's stars. Over the last three first quarters, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have been stellar. Giannis has averaged an impressive 11.3 points on 64.7 percent shooting, while Lillard has put up 11 points on 64.7 percent field goal shooting in the first 12 minutes.
These two have come out and set the tone consistently lately, as two superstars should do.
When they start the game hot, it builds momentum for the remainder of the game. That's precisely what happened in Milwaukee's last game against Toronto. Lillard and Antetokounmpo both finished with double-digit points in the first quarter, and they never lost that momentum. Giannis notched 35 points and 13 rebounds, while Lillard tallied 26 points and eight assists in a 130-112 win.
Now, the task at hand is sustaining these hot starts to games. Early this season, it felt like the Bucks were oftentimes battling their way back into games after getting themselves into an early hole. When they are the ones starting games hot and not having to claw back, it certainly gives them the edge. This could be a huge factor in helping them find consistency amid an inconsistent season.
Moving forward, Doc Rivers has some choices regarding which starting lineup he thinks can be of use in continuing this trend. Should it be Ryan Rollins or Andre Jackson Jr. starting at the two? Should the sweet-shooting Taurean Prince remain a starter or should Khris Middleton reclaim his spot? It should all come down to the best options to help them get off to these hot starts.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.