Last night’s come-from-behind win by the Bucks over the New York Knicks (111-107) was a great example of the importance of strong bench play and role players who contribute.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, but there were seven players who had double-figures in points, and the bench contributed 35 points.
Pat Connaughton had his second career double-double vs. the Knicks
Giannis was not the only player with a double-double… and the other was not named Bobby Portis. The other double-double was from Pat Connaughton who led the Bucks with 11 rebounds and added 11 points. The 11 boards and four assists were season highs for Pat. The double-double was only the second of his career.
Connaughton, in his eighth year in the league, has been a key player off the bench for the Bucks in his five-year stint with Milwaukee. But over the past eight games, Pat has been starting in the absence of Khris Middleton. Connaughton has scored 69 points, grabbed 38 rebounds, and has made 18 three-pointers as a starter in that eight-game stretch.
Pat’s next game off the bench will be his 250th for Bucks as a reserve
One interesting stat about Connaughton is that in the 286 games he has played for Milwaukee, he has started only 37 games, meaning that the next time Connaughton steps on the court as a reserve it will be his 250th game coming off the bench. He will become the 12th player in Bucks history to play in 250 games as a reserve.
Here are the 11 Bucks players who have played 250+ games with the team coming off the bench.
Bucks players with the most career games as a reserve
605-Junior Bridgeman
424-Paul Mokeski
414-Ricky Pierce
328-Dan Gadzuric
311-Ersan Ilyasova
300-Harvey Catchings
296-Brad Lohaus
287-Randy Breuer
274-Lloyd Walton
254-Ervin Johnson
253-John Henson
Pat Connaughton is one of four players to achieve these stats in NBA history
Connaughton has been a solid contributor and role player coming off the Bucks in a variety of ways. Consider this: He is one of only four players in NBA history to have 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists, 200 steals, 100 blocks, and 500 three-point shots made with less than 100 games started in a career. The others: Tracy Murray, Dell Curry, and Jon Barry. Connaughton’s career stat line reads 2,649 points, 1,483 rebounds, 547 assists, 209 steals, 121 blocks, and 507 three-pointers.
With very modest career stats that include an average of 6.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, Connaughton has certainly carved out a nice career as a key role player for the Bucks as a pivotal element of the team’s rotation.
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