Milwaukee vs. Detroit: Bucks Slaughter Pistons

The Milwaukee Bucks pushed their winning streak to 13-consecutive games with a 127-103 victory over the hapless Detroit Pistons last night. The victory also improved the Bucks to 10-2 away from Fiserv Forum.

Three Bucks

Blake Griffin is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s son.

Blake, like much of the NBA, simply had no answer at either end of the floor for the Greek Freak. While the Pistons managed to keep things close in the first quarter, that was about it. For some odd reason, BG thought it would be a good idea to antagonize Antetokounmpo throughout the second quarter. He gave Giannis a little love tap that pushed him to the ground and then proceeded to step over him...while down double-digits. It was over after that. Giannis went on to torment Detroit to the tune of 35 points and nine rebounds in only 28 minutes. He sank 12-of-21 shots from the floor and 7-of-9 free throws. Antetokounmpo let it fly from deep and connected on 4-of-8 attempts from downtown. We are seeing Coach Bud draw up more plays for Giannis on three-point looks from above the break. I mean, look at how deep this one is! The Pistons haven’t beaten the Bucks since the Eisenhower administration, and pissing Giannis off predictably did not help their cause.

K-Midd - Happy Helper

I love the fact that Khris Middleton went over and started chirping at Blake Griffin following his antics in the second quarter. While it certainly wasn’t malicious, it was awesome to see Middleton take offense and let BG know that they would have none of it. When the dust settled, this ended up being one of Middleton’s most efficient games of the season. He was smooth on both ends of the floor, contributing 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Khash also knocked down 6-of-12 shots from the floor, 2-of-4 attempts from deep, and all of his free throws. It seems like he always plays well against his former employer. Thanks again, Pistons!

Rolo on a rollollolloll

I am starting to eat crow about my opinions on Bucks big man Robin Lopez. While I was not in favor of the signing, it has paid dividends for the Bucks in recent weeks. He dropped 10 points off the bench and was a pest on both ends of the floor. He kept multiple possessions alive by continuing to battle on the offensive glass and even stonewalled old friend Christian Wood on several occasions defensively. He is also starting to hit the three-ball more efficiently, shooting 52.9% in the last 10 games.

Bonus Bucks

• Eric Bledsoe contributed 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists for the Bucks.
• George Hill was quiet offensively last night, scoring only three points but he did chip in four rebounds and three dimes.
• Ersan Ilyasova was active in the first half and helped the Bucks maintain a lead going into the break. He ended with 10 points, four rebounds, and two steals.
• Every member of the Bucks who saw the court last night finished with a positive plus-minus...* chefs kiss *
• Milwaukee finished the victory with 48.9%/40%/92.6% shooting splits. That’ll do.