The duel between the last two NBA champions fell on the side of the Bucks. Budenholzer’s team won the visit of the Lakers to the Fiserv Forum by 109-102 taking advantage of the fact that the Angelenos are still unable to count on LeBron James, who is already finalizing the preparations for his return. Who was back was Khris Middleton, available after eight games of absence, which helped his team to break their losing streak and try to straighten out a season that has not started in the best possible way.
The return of the forward, however, did not remove one iota of prominence from Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose masterful performance was the key to the victory of Wisconsin’s team. The Greek finished the game with 47 points after throwing with a 78.3% accuracy in field goals (including a 3/4 in triples), and the Lakers found no way to avoid that time after time he hurt them in the field. painting. The Hellenic, who also finished with 9 rebounds and 3 assists, displayed his entire arsenal of scoring qualities, giving his team a much needed victory.
Giannis also scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter, in which his baskets were key to surviving the comeback attempts by Vogel’s men. The Angelenos, who had spent much of the crash behind, managed to get ahead at the end of the third quarter, but the Bucks quickly regained the lead and, with Anteto on track, they were able to distance themselves enough to prevent the duel came to a tight end.
Bobby Portis, with 17 points, was Milwaukee’s second leading scorer, while Khris Middleton stayed at 16 in a somewhat irregular comeback, in which he signed good deeds but finished with an improvable 4/12 in the shot. However, the forward made two triples that make him reach 1,051 with the Bucks jersey, tying Ray Allen as the player who has scored the most shots of three in the history of the franchise. The same points that he scored Patt Connaughton, who returned to be essential with his 4/8 on triples from the bench.
The Lakers were led by Talen Horton-Tucker, who on his return to the courts is making it clear how much his people were missing without his presence. The guard finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and was one of the great architects of the reaction of the Californians after the break that put them back in the game.
Russell Wesbrook, for his part, was more precise and restrained than usual, which allowed him to sign 19 points and 15 assists, while Anthony Davis finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds but was overtaken by Giannis when trying to dominate the game. painting. The pivot was asked about the absences of his team, who in addition to LeBron could not count on Kendrick Nunn and Trevor Ariza, but he did not want to use it as an excuse.
“These things are part of the game,” he assured. “The same has happened to the Bucks, who have been unlucky with injuries. These kinds of things are included in what a season in the league is. In the end, we all have to go out and give it our all every night, so it is inevitable that someone will get injured sometime. We just have to adjust and keep fighting until everyone is back.
(Cover photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
