It won’t go down as the prettiest outing on the part of the Milwaukee Bucks, but they were able to wring just enough out of the entire rotation to topple the Brooklyn Nets on the road, 118-113. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 34 points (on 14-22 and 6-10 from the line), 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, and it was the scoring of Bobby Portis (23 points on 9-10 and a perfect 5-5 from distance) and Gary Trent Jr. (20 points on 6-10 and 3-7 from three) that kept the Bucks within touching distance. A final five minute small-ball lineup featuring Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr., Khris Middleton, Portis, and Antetokounmpo would finally bring Brooklyn’s tough shot making to a halt; much-improved offensive execution took them home from there.

Read our full summary of the game here!

What Did We Learn?

We decisively learned that the Bucks are now capable of fielding actual small-ball lineups now that Khris Middleton is back. In the recent loss to the Boston Celtics the Bucks struggled to cohere into a smaller group with Giannis at center that could stop the defensive bleeding against an excellent three-point shooting squad. A large part of the issue was the absence of Taurean Prince who gave it a go with illness, but could only log nine minutes. Bobby stepped into that gap to little avail. He just isn’t the defender you need against a team with that kind of personnel.

Tonight, however, Bobby was a massive boost to the Giannis-at-center group coach Doc Rivers opted to go to with around five minutes left in the game. Brook Lopez was subbed off the floor by Antetokounmpo at the 8:02 mark and the last piece to complete the closing group was Jackson stepping onto the court with 4:22 left. After trading a few baskets to the tune of a 104-108 Nets lead with 3:08 left, Brooklyn would not register another point until Dorian Finney-Smith got a three to fall off a busted coverage. In total, that group I outlined above was responsible for forcing two turnovers and two blocks after spending the entire game struggling to sustain defensive pressure. Portis in particular was massive with two wide-open, step-into-it threes of title-run vintage while Giannis Antetokounmpo shied away from the battering ram strategy to set others up. Even on a relatively quiet night from Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton in terms of sheer scoring, the closing group executed at a high level.

That is all extremely promising news and exactly what Bucks fans have been hoping to see all season. There will be battles to earn a spot in Doc’s go-to closing group (Andre Jackson Jr. may battle Gary Trent Jr. who may battle Delon Wright while Bobby Portis and Taurean Prince will scrap for the four slot), but fresh off a disappointing close against the Celtics it was encouraging to see something quite the opposite out of this group.

Three Bench Bucks

Bobby Portis

Probably (surely?) his best performance of the season so far, and wouldn’t you know it? A large part of it had to do with his taking and actually making shots. An even larger part probably had to do with the fact that his 3PAr was a clean .500, a feat he has rarely reached this season. While his tough shot making in the first half was good news for a Bucks team needing help to tide over the non-Giannis minutes, it was his effortless threes late that ultimately broke Brooklyn’s back. Those shots were vintage Bobby. Pair that with a stretch of above-competent play defensively (he swatted away a Dennis Schröder jumper which turned into a game-sealing Giannis dunk) thanks to Nic Claxton’s inability to space the floor, and you’ve got Bobby rightfully taking a bow in this one.

Gary Trent Jr.

Another tough shot merchant for a Bucks team that needed them with the paucity of contributions from the rest of the rotation—AJax and AJ Green were good for six each, Lopez for three, and Prince for zero. Trent was consistent in each frame and took and made some tough looks, especially stepping inside the three-point line. Defensively, I think he is still finding his feet next to someone like Damian Lillard (Jackson Jr.’s preponderance of quick twitch energy is evident here), but his recent push into averaging double-digit scoring on good efficiency is exactly how he can make a case for pushing back into the starting lineup should the need arise.

Khris Middleton

Khris was good to great in his 20 minutes of play. The 11 points won’t wow, but he was also good for a late three to help topple the Nets. It was his six assists with zero turnovers that should garner some attention, though. For all those who forget or forgot (myself largely and loudly included) how well Middleton tends to fit in with a variety of lineups, his controlled performance against Brooklyn was a great reminder. His height gives him access to passing lanes that someone like Lillard has to drive to force open, he quite clearly has the kind of enhanced mental enmeshment with Giannis that no other basketball player on Earth shares (those transition and entry passes… oh my), and the odds of his tough shots going in tend to be better than Bobby’s. All that without bogging down the flow of the offense. Let’s call it two-for-two in terms of good Middleton performances on his young season.

Bonus Bucks Bits

• It was a quiet scoring night for Dame with 15 points on merely 2-7, all shots come from outside. While you’d normally like to see him hunting his own shot more he made up for it seeking to create for others. His 11 assists were offset by 7 turnovers, but at least there was plenty coming from the bench to make up the difference.
• If Andre Jackson Jr. ever gets even a semblance of a scorer’s sense, lineups that include him will sing. Doc Rivers did a superb job managing his minutes and fouls and was rewarded with great defense by Jackson late.
• Also, nobody runs themselves ragged trying to set on-ball screens for Lillard like AJax. That lack of a driving/scoring instinct limits how effective Jackson can be, but it is a start.
• Prince seemed a little sluggish still as he continues battling illness. Once he’s back to full health we’ll need to keep an eye on 1) When he is replaced in the starting lineup and 2) Whether he makes the closing lineup cut.
• I’m starting to game theorize a situation where the Middleton-into-starting-lineup swap is accompanied by another change in that group, too. After all, Trent was brought to Milwaukee to fill that two guard spot alongside Milwaukee’s other starters. Will Trent’s improved play garner another spot start even if Jackson continues to play relatively well?
• Bobby-Brook big lineups continue to bleed interior scoring and transition looks. That went a long way to putting Brooklyn in a leading position late in the third before a Bucks run evened things up.

Up Next

The regular season will now step somewhat aside for the closing phases of the NBA Cup as the Bucks look to make two consecutive Cup final appearances. They’ll continue their campaign on Tuesday hosting the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM CST and you’ll be able to watch it on FanDuel Sports Network WI and TNT.

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