The Milwaukee Bucks have plummeted to sixth place in the Eastern Conference after a humiliating loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Last night, the champs needed that difficult loss to serve as a wake-up call as they welcomed the New York Knicks to town for a rare night battle at Fiserv Forum.
Thankfully, the Bucks appeared fired up from the start in this one. They came out firing in the first quarter, scoring 39 points and playing effectively offensively. The Knicks never gave up, keeping this game close the entire time, but they were never able to take the lead, as the Bucks led the entire time. While the game was competitive for the first three quarters, Milwaukee pulled away in the fourth to earn a much-needed 123-108 victory on their home court. With that in mind, let's take a deeper look at three key points.
In his first game back from suspension, Grayson Allen looked terrific for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Grayson Allen returned to Milwaukee's starting lineup Friday night after missing the previous two games due to a hip ailment and then receiving a one-game suspension for a harsh foul.
Despite missing two games, the shooting guard looked well offensively, scoring 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. Allen looked as if he hadn't missed a beat offensively, hitting 3-pointers and driving to the basket with force. In addition, his aggressiveness earned him four foul shots, all of which he made throughout the game.
While the guard is mainly renowned for his scoring and shooting, he showed off his flexibility during last night’s game by doing a bit of everything for the champs. The 6-foot-4 Allen had an impact on the glass by bringing down seven rebounds, including two offensively, which helped the Bucks win the overall rebounding battle between these two teams. Allen, who isn't known for his passing, threw two assists and got his teammates involved while also making a defensive impact with two steals. What is the most important statistic of all? Allen had a game-high +20 rating, indicating that the Bucks dominated when he was on the court.
Allen's season has been a whirlwind, to say the least, but it was encouraging to see him play well in his first game back since the incident, especially in a win.
Jrue Holiday returned to form for the Milwaukee Bucks, who defeated the New York Knicks.
When the Bucks faced the Cavaliers this past Wednesday, Jrue Holiday did not have a good game. The guard was held to only four points on 2-of-9 shooting, including 0-of-2 from three, as he struggled to create a consistent offensive rhythm. Despite his seven assists, Milwaukee's All-Star candidate had a poor overall performance. The Bucks absolutely needed Holiday to get back into a rhythm against the Knicks after that performance, which he accomplished.
Holiday scored 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three, against New York, after not being able to purchase a bucket against Cleveland. Holiday's four 3-pointers matched for a season-best, and he was on fire from long range to begin the game. Holiday's tenacity offensively was on full display throughout this battle, whether he was attacking the basket or shooting from long range, and he even added a couple highlight plays to the reel.
Poetry in (slow) motion. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/13HybjIK4M
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 29, 2022
In addition to his scoring, the floor general's passing was excellent, with 10 assists and only two errors while moving the ball to his teammates. Holiday contributed five rebounds and two steals to the club's total, helping the squad to a big win at home. To cap off his comeback, the guard was an eye-catching +18 on the night, proving that he made the most of his 34-and-a-half minutes on the court.
Holiday now has six double-doubles in the 2021-22 season, and the Bucks are presently 4-2 in those contests. As the champions try to wrap off the All-Star break strong, this effort could help the guard establish a flow in the coming weeks.
The Milwaukee Bucks' Big Three put up an outstanding performance as they defeated the New York Knicks.
Prior to last night's game, the Bucks had an 18-4 overall record in games in which all three of their Big Three were on the court. One of those rare losses came against the Cavaliers on Wednesday, and the star trio made sure they wouldn't lose for the second straight game with these three on the court.
To begin with, Giannis Antetokounmpo was outstanding in this game, scoring 38 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field, including 2-of-6 from long range. Whether he was attacking the basket, pulling from mid-range, or shooting a 3-pointer, the Greek Freak appeared intent on ensuring the Bucks' triumph. Antetokounmpo's aggressive style earned him 16 foul throws on the night as he was pursued by the Knicks, but he capitalized on the chance, knocking down 12 of them.
Along with his overwhelming scoring, Antetokounmpo packed the stat sheet with 13 rebounds, five assists, a steal, and this stunning triple-threat pass to Allen.
HEAVE HO!
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 29, 2022
Giannis with an insane pass. 😱 pic.twitter.com/6yhKWVo9rY
Meanwhile, Khris Middleton didn't have the finest shooting night of his career, going 7-of-18 from the field. The majority of this can be ascribed to his 1-of-7 performance from three, as Middleton struggled to find success. Regardless, Middleton added 20 points of his own, shooting effectively from all areas save the 3-point line. He finished with seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals to round out a strong performance. Then there was Holiday, who was mentioned lately and had a fantastic comeback game with 24 points and 10 assists.
When the Milwaukee Bucks' top trio plays together, their 82 points, 25 rebounds, and 19 assists are enough to push the team's record to 19-4.
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