There’s not much to take away from the Milwaukee Bucks’ devastating blowout loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night. After all, not only were the Bucks utterly outplayed on their own home floor en route to a 132-126 loss, but this defeat also marked Milwaukee’s fourth loss in five games.
If there was one bright spot from the game, however, it was the strong play of rookie Chris Livingston.
Khris Middleton Heaps Praise on Milwaukee Bucks Rookie
With Damian Lillard and backup point guard Cameron Payne both out of commission against the Jazz, head coach Adrian Griffin had to rely on some unusual lineups. He called on rookie Chris Livingston, who hasn’t really been able to make an impact on the team early in the season.
Livingston has stayed ready, though, and he was able to answer the call on Monday night — much to the delight of Bucks veteran Khris Middleton:
“We haven’t seen Chris play steady minutes all year long and he came in and gave us a huge spark,” Middleton said. “… Those young guys, they came in and they played well. They gave us a much-needed spark that we needed. Hopefully, that gave them a lot of confidence to play in this league, and whenever their number’s called again, they’re ready for it.”
Khris Middleton: "He came in and gave us a huge spark."
Chris Livingston was focused on playing as hard as he could each possession and wasn't worried about the score Monday. #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/xbkp59CVhh
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) January 9, 2024
Livingston finished the game with a career-high six points on 2-of-5 shooting, to go along with two rebounds, and a steal in 15 minutes off the bench.
As Middleton noted, it wasn’t just Livingston who came in to impact Monday’s game. Rookie Andre Jackson Jr. got the start in place of Lillard, and he logged seven points and five rebounds. AJ Green also chipped in with eight points on two triples, while MarJon Beauchamp also played his part off the bench.
In the end, however, it was all for nothing as the Bucks were unable to hold off Utah’s onslaught.
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