:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66358255/usa_today_14083237.0.jpg)
Business as usual. That’s what it was tonight at Fiserv Forum, as the Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on primetime with no problem, 119-98.
Giannis & Co. wasted absolutely no time in racing out to an electric start to this one. From inside and outside, Antetokounmpo forced his will on the Sixers. His nine points would highlight the way for the Bucks, and Eric Bledsoe would contribute with eight of his own. A wild 3-pointer by Pat Connaughton on a broken down play would close out the the quarter for the Bucks. They’d take a 31-21 lead into the second quarter.
After Ben Simmons was ruled out for the remainder of the game in the second quarter, Joel Embiid began to pick up the slack. Scoreless in the first, he’d tally 12 points in the second, catapulting Philly back into the thick of things. Milwaukee would do enough to stave them off, but not by much. At halftime, the Bucks carried a 56-50 advantage.
The third quarter would belong to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Philadelphia would really begin to crumble, as the Greek Freak took control and carried the acceleration for Milwaukee. Like, really carry it. This is where Philly would bend and break. Moving into the fourth, the Bucks carved out a 93-73 lead.
From that point, the ship had sailed on this one. The 76ers had no shot of doing anything even remotely close to getting back into this one. Milwaukee would have no trouble crossing the finish line, and would do so with ease, 119-98.
Stat That Stood Out
I’m going to have to go with that third quarter. It really was the downfall of Philadelphia, and it’d happen at the hands of one Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’d tally 12 points in that period, but it really seemed as if he scored more. That’s probably because he tallied a bulk of them at the beginning of the quarter. But nonetheless, his strong play proved to be contagious amongst his teammates. Even without scoring the basketball, his presence really magnified the rest of the squad and put the end to any thoughts of a Philadelphia comeback.