The Milwaukee Bucks were already rolling heading into their Wednesday matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, having won their last eight contests. Then, they got even better with a Khris Middleton return, who played his first game since November 10th. While there were some justifiable questions as to how his return, even off the bench, would affect the team chemistry that was shining during the win streak, the Bucks showed no signs of slowing down with yet another perfect week.
11/25: vs. Utah
Result: W 122-118
The week started off with a doozy, as the Bucks squared off against the Jazz in a hyped-up revenge contest for Milwaukee. Having lost to Utah on a buzzer-beater for their most recent of just three defeats, the Fiserv Forum was rocking on a Monday night. However, the Bucks did not respond in kind at first, with a sluggish first quarter and first half, in general, bringing with it a nine-point halftime deficit for the home team. Then the Bucks, led by their MVP, turned up the heat in a major way in the second half. Giannis would start just 1/6 from the line, but riled up the crowd after his second, sparking a 12/13 finish from the Greek Freak. Additionally, while his 32/11/5 in ONE HALF was certainly jaw-dropping, he was not the only one to heat up in the second half. The Bucks would be +16 in the third quarter, including four Wesley Matthews triples. Overall, the Bucks showed a resiliency that fans have come to expect, and it brought them yet another win.
Top Performers
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 50p/14r/6r/2s
Wesley Matthews: Season-high 19p/4r/2a, 5/8 3P
11/27: vs. Atlanta
Result: W 111-102
Once again, Kevin Huerter and John Collins remained out for the Atlanta Hawks, this time when the Bucks took them on in Milwaukee. This time, though, a familiar face returned to town, showing out on a day in which he discussed his future and a potential return. Yes, this was in fact the Jabari Parker game. The former Bucks #2 pick would put in 33 points along with 14 rebounds and five assists, easily his best game of the season. Trae Young would also produce 29, but it wasn’t quite enough. The Bucks’ balanced scoring attack on this night included six in double figures, and all but Pat Connaughton who played registering neutral or positive +/- totals. Giannis’ double-double streak would survive for another day, if barely, as he would grab his tenth board with less than a minute to play, but more importantly Milwaukee came away with yet another W to equal their 2013-14 win total, a fact that I think bears repeating.
Top Performers
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 30p/10r/4a/4b
Khris Middleton: 16p/3r/3a/2s in 20 minutes off the bench (first game since 11/10)
11/29: @ Cleveland
Result: W 119-110
Despite their gleaming record this season, the Bucks have had some games where they have appeared to play slightly down to their competition, as well as some games where they have blown some pretty big leads. This Friday matchup against the Cavaliers nearly checked off both of those boxes. Up 20 points at the half and as many as 22 at three separate points, Cleveland made their way back to as close as 113-110, bringing back some major flashbacks of Boston and Miami for Bucks fans. This time, though, they prevailed, as a Middleton jump shot and pair of George Hill free throws helped put this game on ice.
Also, this Giannis dunk is ridiculous:
Giannis won't be denied!!#FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/mWnBlZhaDp
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 30, 2019
Top Performers
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 33p/12r/2a/2s/2b
George Hill: 18p/6r/1a/2s, 4/6 3P in 22 minutes off the bench
11/30: vs. Charlotte
Result: W 137-96
Another week, another road/home back-to-back tilt for the Bucks. This time, the injury report read quite long, with Kyle Korver out and Bledsoe, Giannis, and others listed as probable. Milwaukee was hoping for a night to be able to take care of their key players with limited minutes, and that is exactly what they got. Even with less than 20 minutes of the Greek Freak, the Hornets were no match for the East’s top team, as the Bucks would take the sting out of these Hornets on their way to a 41-point blowout win. Good news, Giannis put up 26/9/4 in just 19 minutes of action, one of his most efficient outings of the year. Bad news, as can be seen by the second number of that slash line, is that the vaunted double-double streak came to an end. As Giannis himself said, though, he does not care much for his personal stats as long as the wins keep piling up.
Top Performers
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 26p/9r/4a/1s/+23 (19 minutes)
Robin Lopez: 13p/6r/4a/3b (first start of 2019-20)
Up Next
The Bucks look to continue their 11-game win streak tonight against the (always) lowly New York Knicks (4-16). Then they cross Lake Michigan on Wednesday night for another game against the Pistons before capping off their short three-game week with their second meeting against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BucksLead for the latest Bucks news and insight.
