No All-Stars, no problem for the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with a non-COVID illness and Jrue Holiday was out with neck soreness. Additionally, Goran Dragic and Wes Matthews were out with leg injuries. It didn’t matter as three Bucks players scored at least 24 points, among them Khris Middleton who played his best game of the season. A balanced team effort was more than enough to give Milwaukee its 14th consecutive victory over the Orlando Magic.
Note: House of Highlights is not associated with Wisconsin Sports Heroics. Follow them for more fantastic NBA highlights on their YouTube channel.
The Milwaukee Bucks Proved They Are One of the Deepest Teams in the NBA
Not only were the Bucks without four players who would get regular minutes, they were also “without” rookie MarJon Beauchamp. While Beauchamp dressed for the game, he did not play as he played with the Wisconsin Herd earlier in the day. The Herd had made the trip down to Florida as well to take on the Lakeland Magic.
With so many players unavailable, it was imperative that role players step up, and step up they did. Brook Lopez led the Bucks in scoring with 26 points on an efficient 9-14 shooting. Middleton got his first start since returning from a knee injury and scored 24 on just nine shots. He was 13-14 from the free throw line. Jevon Carter erupted in the second half, scoring most of his 24 points after the break.
Jae Crowder had his best game since being traded to the Bucks, scoring 15 points off the bench. Joe Ingles continued his hot shooting, scoring 12 points on just 5-6 shooting. Finally, Bobby Portis, starting in place of Giannis, had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Free Throws Were the Difference in the Game
Everyone knows that Giannis Antetokounmpo gets to the line a great deal. Without him, the Bucks were still able to get to the charity stripe at a high rate, and that made a major difference in the game. Milwaukee made 32 of 34 free throw attempts compared to Orlando’s 14 makes on 19 attempts. As mentioned, Middleton was 13-14 from the line. Lopez attempted nine free throws and made eight of them.
Milwaukee Bucks Box Score
- Khris Middleton: 24 points, four rebounds, 11 assists, one steal
- Bobby Portis: 16 points, 11 rebounds, one assist
- Brook Lopez: 26 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, three blocks
- Grayson Allen: eight points, one assist
- Jevon Carter: 24 points, two rebounds, five assists, one block
- Joe Ingles: 12 points, three rebounds, six assists, one steal
- Jae Crowder: 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block
- Pat Connaughton: six points, five rebounds, one assist
- Meyers Leonard: three points, two rebounds
- Lindell Wigginton: no stats recorded
Orlando Magic Box Score
- Franz Wagner: 21 points, three rebounds, six assists
- Paolo Banchero: 20 points, five rebounds, three assists
- Moritz Wagner: 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals
- Jalen Suggs: three points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal
- Markelle Fultz: 16 points, one rebound, four assists, one steal
- Cole Anthony: 23 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals
- Goga Bitadze: 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal
- Caleb Houstan: three points, three rebounds
- Bol Bol: four points, four rebounds, one assist
- Chuma Okeke: three points
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
