The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Portland Trailblazers 119-111 on Monday night. Milwaukee improved to 11-4 on the season while the Trailblazers, who have now lost three in a row, fell to 10-7. The game featured the return of Pat Connaughton, who had missed every game this season with a leg injury. He finished the night with seven points, two rebounds, two steals, and an assist. His presence off the bench was certainly felt on both ends of the court, but we are featuring three other Bucks players who help deliver the win.
Full highlights here:
Check the highlights from Milwaukee's 119-111 win over the Blazers! #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/W8fnaSjx3B
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) November 22, 2022
Three Studs
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Of course, we are going to start with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP and perennial All-Star. The Greek Freak scored 37 points on 16-24 shooting (we’ll talk about the free throws later). He also added seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. His six assists were tied with Jrue Holiday for the team lead on a night in which the Bucks set a season-high with 31 team assists.
Just as they wrote it up. pic.twitter.com/DFv9xZUISL
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 22, 2022
Related: Bucks: The Five Best Games Giannis Antetokounmpo Has Played Against the Blazers
Brook Lopez
I think it is high time that we start talking about Brook Lopez as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. I’m not the only one who thinks so, either. Check out what Jrue Holiday had to say:
"He's the anchor for our team. … Defensive player of the year. How about that one?"
Jrue Holiday with high praise for Brook Lopez talking with @ZoraStephenson after the win! pic.twitter.com/1pRtHsIiJM
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) November 22, 2022
Lopez, the league-leader in blocks per game, had another five blocks against Portland. He also had 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Lopez continued to shoot well from beyond the arc, too, going two for five from three. So far this season, he is shooting a career-best 39% from three while attempting a career-high 6.3 three’s per game.
Brook gets up after the feed from Jrue! #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/9YnqawX4Io
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) November 22, 2022
Jrue Holiday
The Portland Trailblazers threatened to make the game close in the fourth quarter, but Jrue Holiday ensured that they would be held at bay. Holiday took control of the offense, and hit big shots to end mini-runs and to kill momentum. He finished the night with 17 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals.
Jrue's out here just having fun 😂 pic.twitter.com/tSAR9zfNwo
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) November 22, 2022
Three Duds
MarJon Beauchamp
With the return of Pat Connaughton to the Bucks’ rotation, MarJon Beauchamp saw his playing time decrease. This was to be expected, but he was still able to get five minutes of playing time in, most of which came outside of garbage time. Unfortunately, Beauchamp continued to struggle defensively. He had a team-low -9 net rating on the night.
Serge Ibaka
Speaking of players that did not get much playing time, Serge Ibaka played four minutes. He scored one point and got into some pretty chippy scraps with Portland players. Ibaka did not record a rebound and missed both of his shot attempts.
Giannis’ Free Throw Shooting
As promised, here we are to mention how awful Giannis was from the free throw line. He was 5-12 from the line, though looked a bit more comfortable from the stripe than in previous games. That being said, the results still were not there. It’s mind-boggling that he holds the Bucks’ record for most free throws made in a game without missing (16). At some point, something has to click, right?
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