All good things must come to and end, and the Milwaukee Bucks saw one of the longest win streaks in franchise history in frustrating fashion. Despite leading by as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter, Milwaukee could not overcome 24 Philadelphia 76er free throw attempts in the fourth quarter and gave up 48 points in the period to fall for the first time in weeks.
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The Milwaukee Bucks Looked to Be in Control
After the Bucks and 76ers were tied 29-29 after the first quarter, Milwaukee seemed to take control of the game. A six-point lead at halftime turned into a 14-point lead after three quarters thanks to Grayson Allen’s 20 third quarter points.
As one might expect, Giannis Antetokounmpo saved his best for the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. The two-time MVP had 16 points heading into the final period and finished the game with 34.
Khris Middleton was part of the Bucks’ closing lineup and played 27 minutes as he continued to ramp up his play. This drew considerable criticism from social media as Jae Crowder, who has played phenomenal defense since being traded to Milwaukee, was on the bench.
Crunching the Numbers
By all accounts, the Bucks played a very good game offensively. Four starters scored at least 20 points and Milwaukee won the rebounding battle 43-32. Additionally, Milwaukee shot 17-34 (50%) from three and was 53% from the floor overall.
Unfortunately, it was all for naught as the defense collapsed in the fourth quarter. Despite scoring 31 points themselves in the period, the 76ers scored 48, and a good portion of those came from the free throw line. As previously mentioned, the 76ers attempted 24 free throws in the fourth quarter. Overall, the 76ers were 31-37 from the free throw line while the Bucks were 25-28 (Giannis was 16-18).
Milwaukee Bucks Box Score
- Grayson Allen: 20 points, three rebounds, three assists
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 34 points, 13 rebounds rebounds, four assists, one block, one steal
- Bobby Portis: seven points, five rebounds
- Brook Lopez: 26 points, six rebounds, four assists, one block
- Jevon Carter: three points, three rebounds, one assist
- Jrue Holiday: 26 points, four rebounds, 13 assists
- Jae Crowder: two points, one rebound, one block
- Joe Ingles: five points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal
- Pat Connaughton: one point, two rebounds
- Khris Middleton: six points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal
Philadelphia 76ers Box Score
- Tobias Harris: three points, two rebounds
- PJ Tucker: two points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal
- Joel Embiid: 31 points, six rebounds, 10 assists
- Tyrese Maxey: 26 points, three rebounds, one steal
- James Harden: 38 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, one steal
- De’Anthony Melton: five points, two rebounds, one assist
- Georges Niang: 16 points, one rebound, one steal
- Jalen McDaniels: eight points, two rebounds
- Paul Reed: four points, four rebounds, one assist, one block
- Shake Milton: zero points, one rebounds, one assist, one steal
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