In a decaffeinated duel between two of the Eastern powers, the Bucks took advantage of the strange situation to add a victory at the Wells Fargo Center. The Milwaukee team took 109-118 a clash marked by absences and by the short rotations that both technicians were forced to resort to, which helped them to slightly stop their losing streak and add an important victory in the face of not sink further into the table.
The reigning champions have been dealing with numerous absences practically from the first day of competition, but this time around they found some 76ers even more affected. With Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle absent due to sanitary protocol, Seth Curry on the sidelines due to a foot contusion, and Ben Simmons still not playing, Doc Rivers’ men showed up to the meeting with very tight personnel. The Bucks, for their part, got Jrue Holiday back a couple of nights ago, but they still can’t count on Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Donte DiVincenzo.
This, however, made it possible to see men who are usually somewhat far from the spotlight shine. At home, Tyrese Maxey took on gallons and led the team with 31 points, although he clearly went from more to less after adding 17 of them in the first quarter. However, although their effectiveness was reduced as the minutes passed, the great departure from the point guard seemed to infect his teammates, who signed great performances and made these 76ers a solvent team despite the casualties.
Georges Niang, for example, managed to score 21 points off the bench, and punished the Bucks with his outside shot thanks to his 5/7 triples. Shake Milton, meanwhile, scored 20 to support Maxey in the backcourt, while Andre Drummond signed a double-double of 17 and 20 rebounds. Those who were not so fine were precisely men used to having more weight like Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz, who stayed at 9 and 5 points respectively, something especially bloody in the case of the Turk, who shot 18 times and only scored 2 .
In the Bucks, by contrast, the great dominator was the same as always. Giannis Antetokounmpo, with 31 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists, was once again in charge of leading his team to a more than necessary victory. The Greek, who also placed two blocks, one of them fundamental to Maxey in the last quarter, recognized the importance of the victory in the middle of a somewhat gray start to the season in terms of results.
“It always feels good to win,” he assured. “I have tried to be as competitive as possible and do whatever it takes to win. That’s what my team wants and needs me to do.
The forward was seconded by Grayson Allen, with whom he has generated a great pair that has sustained Milwaukee in these weeks of absences. The guard scored 25 points, including the triple that made it 107-114 in the absence of a minute and a half that left the crash on a tray for his team, while Bobby Portis went to 19 and also captured 10 rebounds. Who did not add so much in annotation was Jrue Holiday, who seems to have returned from his injury somewhat imprecise and could not go beyond 8 points after signing a 4/14 shooting, but he managed to be effective in other facets and contributed 7 rebounds, 6 assists , 2 steals and 2 plugs.
(Cover photo: John Fisher / Getty Images)
