Milwaukee Bucks basketball is finally back! Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks opened their season with a narrow victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. Playing without Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton, Milwaukee was able to keep the 76ers’ stars in check enough throughout the night. Of course, this matchup also paired the Bucks against PJ Tucker, who won a ring with the team during their 2020-21 NBA Championship run. While there was plenty to like about how the Bucks played in their first game, there also some performances that reflect how much the team misses Middleton and Connaughton.
Three Studs
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Of course the two-time MVP is going to land as the top stud for the Milwaukee Bucks in this win. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 21 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and three blocks.
❌ Giannis swoops in for the rejection ❌
The Bucks lead early on TNT #KiaTipOff22 pic.twitter.com/q9CmbX6dpl
— NBA (@NBA) October 20, 2022
The Greek Freak was a respectable 9-16 from the floor, while shooting 1-3 from three. The one area that he struggled in, as many may have expected, was his free throw shooting. Giannis was just 2-5 from the line in this contest. However, he showed great growth in this game by not forcing plays and remained out of foul trouble. He was patient, he found open players, and did all the little things that were vital to pulling out the win.
Bobby Portis
The campaign for Bobby Portis as the NBA Sixth Man of the Year began on this night. Last season, Portis started the majority of Milwaukee’s games as he filled in for an injured Brook Lopez. Now, with Middleton out, the Bucks opted to start Jevon Carter and return Portis to his normal sixth man role. He thrived, once again, coming off the bench. Portis recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Brook Lopez
Without Middleton, the Milwaukee Bucks desperately needed one of their other players to step up as a scoring option. That is what Brook Lopez did against Philadelphia, pouring in 17 points while adding four rebounds and two blocks. Lopez was 6-16 from the field, including 4-12 from three. One has to imagine that this kind of shooting volume will not be expected from Lopez on a game-to-game basis. That being said, with Jrue Holiday having a bad shooting night, Lopez stepped up as a scorer when the team needed him to.
Three Duds
Jrue Holiday
This is not meant to bash Jrue Holiday. He is an essential part of the Bucks roster and they need him to compete. This is especially true without Middleton being healthy. However, even Holiday may say that he did not have his finest game. The veteran point guard had six points, five rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. The most glaring stats, though, are his shooting numbers. Holiday was just 2-15 from the floor, including 0-6 from three. He was 2-2 from the free throw line, but was cold from the floor all night.
Serge Ibaka
Sure, head coach Mike Budenholzer wasted his challenge too early. Yes, that challenge could have been used on an awful mis-call on the double-tip and, in essence, iced the game for the Bucks. However, I have to give the second dud to Serge Ibaka. While he only played four minutes, it was clear from the onset that he would not get much playing time. Ibaka missed his only shot attempt, a three-pointer that was way off the mark. Additionally, he was a clear liability on defense.
The Fourth Quarter
This is where the Bucks missed Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton the most. Holiday was ice cold virtually all game, making Giannis the only real scoring threat out on the court at the end of the game. One has to imagine that Bobby Portis could have been out there on offensive plays more, but the pace of the game and the defense that Lopez brings to the court was needed to combat the 76ers offense. That being said, having shooters like Middleton and Connaughton could have made the fourth quarter much less nerve-racking.
The 76ers dominated the fourth quarter, for the most part. James Harden, in particular, took over and nearly pulled out the win for Philadelphia by himself. Timely shooting, however, was in the Bucks’ favor and some key defensive stops near the end of the game were enough to preserve the victory.
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