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Another game, another win for your Milwaukee Bucks. They’d knock off the Philadelphia 76ers, 112-101.
The first quarter wouldn’t feature the hot shooting that began the first period the last time these two teams faced off. Instead, it was rather somewhat ugly. There’d be a number of times where the Bucks looked out of sorts on passes and overall spacing, resulting in multiple turnovers. Outside of Giannis, there wasn’t much action going on for Milwaukee. At the end of the first quarter, the 76ers would cling to a 26-22 lead.
The Bucks would continue to struggle from deep. Despite the poor shooting, they’d stay right in the thick of things thanks to the play from the Most Valuable Player. It’d be a slow half for Khris Middleton as well, who’d only tally just four points in the opening two periods. However, despite all of that, the Bucks hoisted a 54-51 advantage at intermission.
Milwaukee’s offense would start to propagate to start the third, thanks in large part to Khris Middleton. The All-Star would quickly put in six points, registering him in double-digit territory after a poor first half. A rejuvenated Wesley Matthews would also make his presence felt, tallying an energetic five points to put more wind behind Milwaukee’s sails. Wrapping up the quarter, the Bucks carried an 86-74 advantage.
The sloppiness that caused Milwaukee problems in the beginning of the game would make another appearance to begin the fourth. A flurry of buckets by the Sixers sliced Milwaukee’s 12 point lead in half. However, a three pointer splashed home by Giannis Antetokounmpo (his first one vs. Philadelphia this season) followed up by an Eric Bledsoe trey provided Milwaukee with a 104-93 lead with just over six minutes left. That’d end up being the dagger, as the Bucks coasted to the finish line with this one.
Stat That Stood Out
It really is incredible how Giannis Antetokounmpo can’t buy a 3-pointer vs. the Philadelphia 76ers this season. On the Christmas Day matchup, he went 0-for-7 from the field. Tonight, he went 1-of-7. It’s clear Philly is just daring him to shoot, and it has paid off for them. However, despite the poor shooting numbers from downtown, Antetokounmpo was still able to get his fingerprints all over the box score. He’d conclude his evening with a massive 36/20/6 stat line. Just another day at the office for the MVP.