The Milwaukee Bucks (22-9) will continue their long road trip against the Brooklyn Nets (20-12) on Thursday night. Milwaukee holds a half-game lead over the Boston Celtics for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Nets are currently in fourth, but just two-and-a-half games behind the Bucks. After firing former head coach Steve Nash, the Nets have played much better and once again look like a team to beat in the East. Of course, they have been that way for a while now, and there have been several great matchups between them and the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks. Tonight’s game will surely be no different. The Nets have won seven games in a row while the Bucks are looking to bounce back after a difficult loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Related: Things to Watch for in Bucks vs Nets (Game Two)
5. March 13, 2016: Bucks 109, Nets 100
Back before both the Bucks and Nets were Eastern Conference powers, they were both bottom feeders of the NBA. This particular game saw the Bucks improve to 29-38 while the Nets fell to 18-48. Giannis Antetokounmpo registered a triple-double in this contest. He put up 28 points on 12-16 shooting (4-11 from the free throw line) while hauling down 11 rebounds and dishing out 14 assists.
Jabari Parker added 23 points and five rebounds for the Bucks while Khris Middleton had 19. Current Bucks center Brook Lopez led the Nets with 20 points.
4. January 26, 2018: Bucks 116, Nets 91
Fast forward two seasons and the Bucks were on the rise and the Nets were, well, not. This win helped the Bucks improve to 25-22 on the season while the Nets fell to 18-31. Giannis led the way for the Bucks by scoring 41 points on 14-20 shooting. He was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc and made 10 of his 11 free throws. In addition, Giannis added 13 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and two steals.
Middleton added 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals for the Bucks.
3. March 31, 2022: Bucks 120, Nets 119
Now we come to a classic Bucks versus Nets matchup that we have become so accustomed to. Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant had 26 points and Kyrie Irving had 25, but neither could match Giannis Antetokounmpo. In this contest, Giannis had 44 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and a steal. He won the game for the Bucks by making two free throws with 3.0 seconds left in overtime.
Jrue Holiday added 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and an incredible six steals to help Milwaukee pull out the one-point victory.
2. October 26, 2022: Bucks 110, Nets 99
The first game that the two teams played this season comes in at number two for Giannis’ best games against the Nets. Brooklyn’s stars were on fire, but were not enough to overcome the two-time MVP. Irving had 27 points while Durant had 33. The only other Nets player to record double figures was Royce O’Neale, who had 12. Giannis led the Bucks with 43 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, a steal, and three blocks.
Bobby Portis had 20 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Bucks, who were without Khris Middleton in this game. Brook Lopez recorded six blocks in what was a defensive masterpiece by Milwaukee.
1. May 2, 2021: Bucks 117, Nets 114
Kevin Durant had 42 points and 10 rebounds. Kyrie Irving had 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. However, it was not enough for the Nets to get the best of the eventual NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks. In what was a sneak-peak of the classic Playoffs series to come, Giannis would not allow the Bucks to fall to the darling Nets, who many believed would win it all that year. Giannis had 49 points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal, and three blocks.
Khris Middleton had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks.
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