It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win, especially after losing five games in a row. The Milwaukee Bucks snapped their five-game losing streak by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 98-85.
DJ Augustin Starts for the Bucks
When Jrue Holiday first started to miss games due to the NBA’s health and safety protocol, Bryn Forbes was inserted into the starting lineup. This left the Bucks without a true point guard in the starting lineup. Hoping that having one would change the Bucks’ production, Forbes was replaced in the starting lineup by DJ Augustin.
Augustin played very well in the starting role. He scored 11 points on 4/7 shooting, including 3/7 from three. He also added five assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Off the bench, Forbes produced well too. He scored 10 points on 3/8 shooting, including 2/5 from three.
Giannis and Middleton Lead the Way
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the for the Bucks, a breath of fresh air for Bucks’ fans. During the losing streak, Middleton was not getting the offensive looks that are needed in order to make him a difference maker. That was not the case tonight.
Giannis led all scorers with 29 points while hauling down 19 rebounds and dishing out eight assists. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year also added a steal and three blocks on the night. Most notably, Giannis went 8/10 from the free throw line and hit a couple nice mid-range turn-around jump shots.
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Middleton had a much more productive night than he had had in almost a week. He added 20 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Worth noting is that both Middleton and Giannis played 36 minutes each on the night, something that has not happened much in the Coach Bud era.
Thunder Struggles
The Oklahoma City Thunder are not having a good season. Outside of a win against the Bucks last week, they have not played well at all.
On this night, the Thunder were led by Luguentz Dort who scored 17 points. Four other Thunder players scored in double figures, but overall shot poorly from the floor. In a rare defensive win by the Bucks, the Thunder shot only 30% from three.
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