All-Star Break Doesn’t Cool Off The Red-Hot Milwaukee Bucks

Most gamers — in any sport — look ahead to the prolonged midseason respite supplied by their respective league’s All-Star Sport and the correlating break within the schedule that comes with it.

The Milwaukee Bucks have been no completely different, particularly after navigating a rash of accidents that sidelined key contributors for lengthy stretches of the primary half together with a difficult schedule heading into the break.

However there was most likely a contact of disappointment, although, after Milwaukee lastly returned to full energy and rattled off 12 consecutive victories earlier than hitting the pause button after a 116-110 victory at Chicago on Feb. 16.

Seems, although, {that a} week-long lay off did little to sluggish the Bucks’ roll. Milwaukee returned to motion Friday evening in resounding trend, extending its successful streak to 13 video games with a 128-99 rout of Miami that marked the Bucks’ largest margin of victory this season.

“The entire group had focus popping out of the break,” head coach Mike Budenholzer mentioned. “On each ends of the courtroom, they have been pushing themselves to be their finest.”

Budenholzer famous how level guard Jrue Vacation set the tone in that regard with 24 factors, 5 rebounds and 7 assists with out committing a single turnover in almost 29 minutes on the ground.

Vacation was one in every of six Bucks to attain in double-figures towards Miami, a bunch that included reserve guard Bobby Portis who scored 18 on 7 of 11 capturing and grabbed 11 rebounds in his first sport again after lacking greater than a month because of a knee damage.

“What a credit score to him and the way arduous he labored,” Budenholzer mentioned. “The work he put in over the all star break, I can’t say sufficient about Bobby Portia. He set a tone for us. He’s a giant a part of our character. For him to come back again from an damage and play like that’s indicative of what he’s like.”

Newcomers Myers Leonard and Jae Crowder made stable contributions, too. Leonard scored 5 factors and grabbed six boards in his first sport since 2021 whereas Crowder, who Milwaukee acquired from Phoenix on the deadline, took the ground for the primary time this season and scored 9 on 3-of-5 capturing together with a pair of 3-pointers and pulled down three rebounds.

“Actually spectacular for each of them,” Budenholzer mentioned. “Jae, we’ve been attempting so as to add him to our group. Credit score to Jon Horst and the entrance workplace for locating a technique to get him. He’s a giant a part of successful.”

In fact, whereas a scorching streak in February is definitely spectacular, places butts in seats and helps with playoff positioning, there’s nonetheless a protracted technique to go earlier than the Bucks can go into cruise management.

First, there’s the schedule, which resumes Sunday afternoon towards a new-look Phoenix Suns squad that went all-in on the commerce deadline by including Kevin Durant.

The remainder of Milwaukee’s schedule consists of 5 video games towards Japanese Convention contenders Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Boston in addition to a visit to Phoenix for a rematch with the Suns and one other to Denver for a date with the Western Convention-leading Nuggets together with a go to to Memphis, presently second within the West, within the penultimate common season contest.

Then, there’s a matter of well being, which has at instances flummoxed the Bucks this season and reared its ugly head once more Friday when Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was restricted to only 20 seconds within the All-Star Sport because of a wrist damage, left the sport within the first quarter after bumping his proper knee towards a Suns participant.

His availability Sunday towards the Suns wasn’t identified after the Miami sport however shedding the two-time Most Helpful Participant who’s presently third within the league with 31.8 factors and second with 12.2 rebounds per sport can be an awfully massive blow.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Budenholzer mentioned. “We’ll consider him and simply take it day-to-day.”