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Giannis All Star Captain
On Friday night, the Milwaukee Bucks scored a season-high 85 points in the first half against the Indiana Pacers. They led by as much as 33 points in the game. They won by 10. It was a testament to having the presence of their three main stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, all on the court.
While Milwaukee should have held onto a massive lead, the Pacers came out of the halftime break motivated, and began hitting shots to put pressure on the Bucks. While it looked like Giannis’ night could be done early, he rejoined Holiday and Middleton on the floor for the final minutes of the game, ultimately sealing the game from the free throw line, as Indiana intentionally fouled to try and capitalize on the biggest flaw in the all-star captain’s game. A streak of free throws would allow Antetokounmpo to finish with 41 points on the night, with all of the Bucks’ stars in double figures, as well as Middleton and Wesley Matthews off the bench.
As we’ve seen this season having the big three for Milwaukee healthy is crucial to their success. Defenses know to crowd the lane against Giannis, but having bona fide playmakers in Holiday and Middleton on the wings means that defenses can’t push inside, knowing either can hit the outside shot when Milwaukee needs it most. While the rest of the Bucks’ lineup are certainly strong role players, opposing defenses have to respect that three potential all-stars can take over the game at any point.
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The Bucks come into the week winning their last four games, all of which have featured Giannis after missing five games due to knee soreness. He's making national headlines this morning after putting up his second 50-point performance of the year on Sunday night. They’ll be treated to three straight games at Fiserv Forum this week, finishing off a home stand that could possibly push Milwaukee up one more spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Here’s what lies ahead:
Tuesday, January 31 vs. Charlotte (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The week begins with the third and final meeting with the Charlotte Hornets for the season. The season series is split at one game apiece, most recently with a loss on January 6 at Fiserv Forum. In that game, the Hornets matched an NBA records, scoring 51 points in the first quarter against Milwaukee. That essentially ended the game before it really started, but it didn’t help that Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled, with just nine points in the game. One person that doesn’t seem to falter against Charlotte, though, is center Bobby Portis. In both games against the Hornets this season, Portis has led the Bucks in points and rebounds. Milwaukee is almost a different team than they were at the start of this month, though, so expect them to be motivated to win the season series on Tuesday night.
Thursday, February 2 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (9 p.m., TNT)
Thanks to national television, the Bucks will have a rare 9 p.m. home tip on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s the first of two games in eight days for these two teams, with Milwaukee travelling out west again next week. The Clippers come into the week on the strength of five straight wins, with the regular return of forward Kawhi Leonard helping propel the team to fourth place in the Western Conference. Thursday night’s late-night game should worthy of the national spotlight, with both teams featuring plenty of stars, and playing good basketball coming into the week. Expect this one to be tight down the stretch.
Saturday, February 4 vs. Miami (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The weekend sees the third of four games with the Miami Heat this season, and a game that the Bucks will likely want to win more than most. Earlier this month, the Heat handed the Bucks a pair of losses on back to back games in Miami, as part of their climb into the Eastern Conference playoff spots. Giannis missed both of those road games, in what was the middle of a tough stretch of injuries for the Bucks as a whole. Hopefully this time around, the home team will come out on top again, this time with a renewed confidence and healthier roster overall.
