Brook Lopez was the unsung hero for the Milwaukee Bucks in Wednesday night’s tightly-contested win over the Detroit Pistons.
Well, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure you can consider Lopez’s heroics as “unsung” considering how big of a splash the former All-Star made in Milwaukee’s 120-118 victory against a relentless Pistons side.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Hails Brook Lopez’s Heroics
It was Damian Lillard who allowed Milwaukee to recapture the lead with a little over a minute remaining in the game. However, it was the Brook Lopez show from there on out.
Lopez got knocked down to the floor on two consecutive sequences after battling for a rebound. It was his unwillingness to give in, however, that allowed the Bucks to secure possession on both crucial occasions.
After falling for a second time on the defensive end, Lopez had to sprint back to the opposite side of the floor, where he would end up making arguably the biggest shot of the night:
BIG SPLASH FROM THE BIG GUY. pic.twitter.com/Pi0ca8vPZF
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 9, 2023
BROOK LOPEZ BANGGGGGGGG pic.twitter.com/Tti1AHqPuW
— 🥤 (@34for2) November 9, 2023
After the game, Lopez revealed that he wasn’t happy about being knocked down not once, but twice in quick succession:
“I was definitely annoyed by (getting knocked down twice),” he said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “We had great ball movement getting down to the other end and I told Jae, I could feel he was going to turn around and when I saw him mid-shovel pass, I knew the ball was going in.”
I guess the lesson here for the opposition is that you shouldn’t get Lopez angry.
Damian Lillard had to heap praise on Lopez’s clutch trey late in the game. It gave the Bucks a four-point advantage with 42.2 seconds remaining, and it was the cushion they needed to close out the game.
“That was the shot of the night,” Lillard said of Lopez’s 3. “And just having a guy who can protect the paint that way, knowing that you’re funneling guys to him, but also knowing that he’s that type of threat from 3. I had all the confidence in the world when he shot it, and it was a big time shot.”
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