Milwaukee vs. Sacramento: Bucks Roll Past Kings, 133-127

In their lone visit to Fiserv Forum this season, the Bucks were able to knock off the Sacramento Kings, 133-127.

The Kings would race out to a double-digit start about halfway through the first quarter, thanks to a flurry of points from Wisconsin native Tyrese Haliburton and Harrison Barnes. Lacking Giannis, the Bucks would get seven points apiece from Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, which sliced Sacramento’s lead to eight going into the second, 35-27.

Milwaukee flipped the script in the second quarter, turning the Kings around and re-gaining the lead. The three ball started to fall for the Bucks, which paved a path for them to get back into the thick of things. At intermission, Milwaukee led Sacramento by a score of 62-54.

The Bucks wouldn’t have much trouble keeping the Kings at bay throughout the third quarter, absorbing every punch they threw. Going into the third quarter, Milwaukee carried an eight-point advantage, 94-86.

Khris Middleton led all scorers with 34 points. Jrue Holiday added in 26 of his own, and Donte had a standout game with 20 points off the bench.

For Sacramento, Harrison Barnes led the way with 29 points. Tyrese Haliburton had a nice homecoming with 24 points of his own.

Three Observations

Khris Middleton was feeling it.

You knew that when Giannis was ruled out, that somebody was going to have to step up for the Bucks. That man was Khris Middleton. He’s done it before, and he did it again last night. When it was all said and done, he rattled off 34 points. He was also feeling it from the 3-point line, as he hit five treys. He may not get an All-Star nod this season, but he still plays like one out on the floor. A really well-rounded outing from him.

Donte finally had a nice game.

This was well-needed. Ever since coming back from injury, it’s been no secret that Donte has been struggling. However, last night he was able to make a nice impact off the bench, totaling 20 points. He also connected on several threes, which is another promising sight given how his shot has been struggling as of late. It’ll remain a question as to if he can sustain this type of performance moving forward, but it was a nice game from him yesterday.

Bobby continues to struggle from deep, but still makes an impact on the game.

If you’ve been watching the last few Bucks games, you probably have noticed that Bobby Portis has not been connecting as much from deep as of lately. At one point tonight, he had missed nine consecutive 3-point attempts before finally getting one to fall. However, despite the struggle in that area of his game, he was still able to haul in 12 rebounds. He made a similar impact Friday night vs. the Bulls, which epitomizes just how well he’s able to get his fingerprints on the box score. That’s the sign of a special player.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• With the win, the Bucks now have an 11-game winning streak vs. the Kings. Their last loss in the series was back on Feb. 1st during the 2015-16 season. That winning streak is tied for the longest current winning streak against an opponent that the Bucks have, as they also currently boast an 11-game winning streak vs. the Magic.
• It was cool seeing Tyrese Haliburton. An Oshkosh native, this was his first appearance in Fiserv Forum with fans being allowed in. There was a large section of fans that cheered for him any time he scored. That was nice to see.
• In the third quarter, Wesley Matthews was clearly injured. He hobbled up and down the floor before there was finally a break in the action.
• The Kings are a team that I want to see succeed in the league. I don’t really remember the last time they were good as I was too young, but I’m happy that they were able to get their new arena built and stayed in Sacramento. Hopefully, their play on the court will eventually turn around for the diehard Kings fans.
• I’m also a fan of their color scheme. I love the purple, grey, and white. It definitely looks quite flashy.