Rapid Recap: Bucks 111, Hawks 102

‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving, and the Milwaukee Bucks took down the Atlanta Hawks, 111-102.

Wednesday night’s win made it nine(!) straight wins for the Bucks, but this one was the first of the streak that included Khris Middleton. Coming off the bench and under a minutes restriction, Khris (16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, in 19 minutes) eased his way back into the rotation, giving Mike Budenholzer and staff something else to manage on top of Atlanta’s persistence.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) continued his ho-hum follow-up to last year’s MVP campaign. Eric Bledsoe (9 points, 10 assists, 5 boards) facilitated well, and Ersan Ilyasova (13 points, 8 rebounds) added a boost off the bench.

For the Hawks, Jabari Parker was red-hot in his return visit to Fiserv Forum. In the midst of his efforts at a career revitalization in Atlanta, he went off for 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. Trae Young (29 points, 7 assists) started quiet but ended up finding a groove.

Stat That Stood Out

Both teams missed more than their fair share of free throws; Milwaukee (17-27, 63%) and Atlanta (15-22, 68%) both left a ton on the table, and at least in the Bucks’ case it could have made things a bit more comfortable. Giannis’ (5-13 from the line) struggles at the line continue to mar his otherwise-excellent play.

Bonus Holiday Section

If you’re reading this while traveling, travel safely. If you’re going out tonight, be responsible. If you’re staying in, sleep well, and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!