Milwaukee, WI
Bucks vs. Magic: A Dame Dolla short
The Milwaukee Bucks’ fourth-quarter comeback fell one shot short against the Orlando Magic, losing 111-109, after Damian Lillard’s game winning three hit the back iron. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame combined for 63 points to lead the Bucks offense. Yet the combined effort of Paolo Banchero (29 points), Cole Anthony (22 points and nine assists), and Franz Wanger (18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists) was enough to push Orlando over the finish line. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast Bucks In Six Minutes below.
What Did We Learn?
If I’m the Milwaukee Bucks, I never want to see the Orlando Magic in a playoff series, this season or any other season. Despite being out their top guard in Jalen Suggs, the Magic continued to limit one of the Bucks’ biggest strengths on offense: the three-point shot. Of the seven games in which the Bucks have attempted their fewest three-pointers this season, four of those games (including the top three) have come against the Magic, with 23 on Saturday night.
“They just switch a lot and they’re big, the one game where we had 30 [three point attempts] was a blow out because we got good shots,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought they were so much more physical tonight, I thought the first game here early in the year I thought they were way more physical than us, they were more physical in three of the four games.”
Beyond their physicality, Giannis credits the Magic’s ability to be versatile enough to switch on the perimeter to limit the Bucks’ three-point shots.
“They switch everything and when you play against a team that switches everything it’s hard,” Giannis said. “You gotta have the mindest of driving and kicking it, but sometimes we have very talented players that take that individual challenge to take it themselves and sometimes the ball doesn’t move as much and it sticks. When you play against a team that switches you gotta keep it rolling hard.”
Thankfully the Bucks are done with the Magic for the rest of the regular season, and would only play them in the second round or the Eastern Conference Finals depending on where they finish in the play-in. I know that they won three out of the four games this season against Orlando, but a team like that can be dangerous when they can shoot the ball like they did in the first quarter last night. If they get a two-way scoring guard who can hit three’s at a high rate next to Suggs, the Magic are going to be a strong contender in the East.
Three Kevin Porter Jr. Plays
If they made statues for fleecing teams out of a good player for nothing, then GM Jon Horst should get one for acquiring Kevin Porter J. for nothing. After getting limited minutes with the Clippers, Porter has taken full advantage of the opportunity as the new backup point guard behind Dame. He’s scored 10+ points in four straight games, and he’s averaging 12.0 points per game over his last four contests compared to his 9.3 points per game overall this season. He was part of the closing lineup last night against Orlando and was part of the spark the comeback in the fourth quarter. Here are KPJ’s three best plays from Saturday night.
While they could never compare to the Khris-to-Giannis lobs, the KPJ-to-Giannis ones are pretty good.
I know I’m not the only one who will miss seeing Khris Middleton throw lobs to Giannis, but in his short time here, KPJ is racking up quite the collection of outstanding lob passes to a lot of players, but Giannis in particular. With the Bucks on the comeback trail, Porter runs a P&R with Giannis and since Goga Bitdaze is in for the Magic, they’re going to run some form of drop-coverage. With Tristan Da Silva not providing much help and no one else rotating over, Porter throws a beautiful lob pass to Giannis for the slam. This was part of a big run for the Bucks to get them within striking distance and make a full comeback attempt.
His ability to stop on a dime to hit mid-range shots on one foot is something I’ve never seen before.
I know there are plenty of guys in the league who can stop on a dime and make tough shots, but the way in which Porter does it is so unconventional to me. On this play, he drives in on Anthony Black, stops with one foot and drags the other to make an awkward looking shot, but hey, it went in.
Out of everyone, he got the Bucks going from beyond-the-arc last night.
It was polar opposites from three point range between the Bucks and Magic in the first quarter. Orlando came in as the worst three point shooting team in the league, but managed to shoot a scorching 8/13 from beyond the arc in the first, while Milwaukee shot 0/5. Then in the second quarter, only one player even attempted a three for the Bucks, and it was Porter, who went 2/2. He does have history as a good three-point shooter, but the reason I say that I’m a bit surprised is because since he left Houston, he’s barely attempted any threes and hasn’t necessarily been good at them. Yet it seems now like he’s building confidence in it again, especially by taking a transition three after a stop on defense. He’s becoming more and more valuable each game, and that may price him out for the Bucks next season. But for now, let’s enjoy his exploits on the court while we still can,
Bonus Bucks Bits
- Giannis finished the night just three points shy of joining the top 50 scorers in NBA history (20,047). He did pass Antwan Jamison (20,042) last night after his 37-point outing. He’ll have his chance to quickly move into the top 50 tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Here was Dame’s take on the last possession against Orlando:
“Every time you look back at it you’re like ‘I could’ve did this, I should’ve done this,’ once I got it in space I made up my mind I was going for the win. I got space, I just lost my balance, I got deeper than I wanted to and I was just trying to get it and go downhill and get back behind the line, but when I got back behind the line I was kinda fighting against my body more than I would have liked to, I just got off balance and that was it.”
- Taurean Prince scored nine of his 13 points tonight in the fourth quarter, tying the second most he’s scored in a single quarter this season. His three triples in the final frame also tied his season-high in a single quarter and matched the second most he’s made in a quarter in his career.
- Dame has now scored 25+ points in 31 games this season, the 10th-most in the NBA, and he’s one of just 11 players to have at least 30 games with 25+ points.
Up Next
The Milwaukee Bucks will play their second back-to-back game tonight against the Eastern Conference’s number one team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. You can catch the game starting at 7:00 p.m. (Central) on ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, or our Playback and YouTube channels.
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Milwaukee, WI
‘We’ve seen that skit’: Brewers seem over feud with Willson Contreras
Breaking down the Brewers’ big-league extension for Cooper Pratt
On the ‘Microbrew’ podcast, Curt Hogg and JR Radcliffe discuss the surprising nature of the Cooper Pratt extension.
BOSTON – It transcends jersey color, roster construction, what year it is and whoever happens to be on the mound: When Willson Contreras plays the Milwaukee Brewers, he is going to get mad.
The latest chapter in a decades-long inevitability between player and opponent occurred April 6 at Fenway Park. Contreras, now with the Boston Red Sox, was wearing different colors from each of the previous, interdivisional spats with Milwaukee, but it looked the same as each of the prior phases.
A Brewers pitcher hit Contreras, and he did not appreciate it.
The fireworks in Fenway occurred in the third inning when a sinker from Brandon Woodruff grazed the top of Contreras’ hand – though the visiting side, including Willson’s younger brother and Brewers catcher William Contreras, thought otherwise. The pitch was up but hardly in, just off the plate to the inside by a couple of inches.
The Red Sox first baseman immediately slammed his bat in frustration and began taking steps toward the mound before redirecting his path to first base. All the while, he harped toward Woodruff.
“That’s how he plays,” said William Contreras.
This was not just a one-off; there is history there. Plenty of it.
It was the 24th time Contreras had been hit by the Brewers in 121 games and the sixth time that Woodruff had hit him, both facts that were quickly brought up after the Brewers’ 8-6 win.
Contreras, 33, has long viewed it as purposeful by the Brewers, dating back to even the days of Craig Counsell as manager when Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs played dozens of fierce games over the years.
“It’s not just the hit by pitch, it’s the 24th pitch they’ve hit me in my career,” Contreras said. “Twenty-fourth. That’s the sixth time [Woodruff] has hit me and they always say, ‘I’m not trying to hit you.’ That gets old.”
On the other side, the Brewers insist they aren’t trying to hit Contreras, but rather it’s a byproduct of playing so often over the years and his proclivity to lean over the plate. Contreras, after all, is plunk-prone. He ranks second among active players in hit by pitches.
To relitigate all the hit-by-pitches (and, in most cases, ensuing dust-ups) would be a task too arduous for this space, but there are many. They date back to his tenure with the Cubs, which began in 2016, and up until this night in Boston the most recent dustup was last June.
There has been strife over more than just being hit by pitch, too. Last year, Rhys Hoskins got into it with Contreras over what the Brewers perceived to be a dirty play at first base involving now-Sox teammate Caleb Durbin.
Some in the Brewers clubhouse also quietly stewed about Contreras stepping out of the box and onto home plate as Jacob Misiorowski delivered a pitch to try and throw him off during his MLB debut last June.
Safe to say the Brewers are over it.
“We’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years,” Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said. “It’s nothing new.”
Contreras, though, is not.
“Next time they hit me again, I’m going to take one of them out,” he said. “That’s the message.”
The ordeal puts the younger Contreras in a difficult spot, effectively having to choose between his brother and his team whenever the sides play. But William is also leaving no questions to where his allegiances lie when the dust flies up during play.
“He’s my brother – after we leave the stadium,” he said.
William attempted to calm Willson down once again after the Woodruff hit by pitch, but to no avail.
“I tried, but it’s impossible,” little brother said.
Willson continued barking toward the mound after getting to first, only ceasing because he had to run two pitches later to second base, where he went in with cleats high and took a chunk of shortstop David Hamilton’s pant legs with him.
“We’ve been through this – it’s, what, nine years for me? – It seems like every year,” Woodruff said. “He’s trying to play a game and he’s trying to get his side fired up. Once I knew what was going on, I wasn’t going to let it affect me on the mound. I knew I had a job to do. I knew the pitch count was still down, even though I had given up a few runs. And I knew the bullpen was short. So I knew I needed to go out there and just keep competing.”
A riled-up Contreras kept burning the Brewers with his bat as the game went on, getting a hit in each of his next three at-bats, including a mammoth solo homer in the ninth.
The Brewers, though, got the final word in the series opener.
“That was a great win,” Yelich said. “It was a ‘toughness’ win from the guys. Got down early, it was cold out there, we got a short bullpen and we found a way to win. We’re willing to grind with anybody. Just really proud of the guys for stepping up and finding a way there, just willing it.”
Now, we wait and see what’s next.
Milwaukee, WI
Potawatomi Casino Hotel evacuated after fire breaks out in rooftop HVAC system
A large fire broke out Friday at Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee.
WATCH: Large fire at Potawatomi Casino Hotel:
Large fire burning near Potawatomi Casino Hotel
Video and photos from several of our crews showed a giant black plume of smoke rising into the air.
Officials with the Potawatomi Casino Hotel say a problem with the boiler system led to the fire. They say the building containing the boiler system is being evacuated. They say that does not include the hotel and the hotel is not being evacuated.
Aaron Johnson
“The entire casino is being evacuated,” according to a post from Potawatomi’s Facebook page.
MFD Chief Aaron Lipski told TMJ4 that there was a fire in the HVAC air handling system on the roof. The fire is under control, and there are no injuries.
Watch: Ben Jordan escorted away by security while reporting on Potawatomi fire:
Ben Jordan escorted away by security while covering fire at Potawatomi Casino Hotel
This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as more information is released.
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Milwaukee, WI
‘I couldn’t believe it’: Milwaukee man killed in Easter weekend shooting
An Easter weekend shooting claimed the life of a 40-year-old father and grandfather. Family has identified the victim as Tremayne “Trell” Montgomery. Milwaukee police responded to the shooting near Hampton and Fond du Lac avenues at 11:50 p.m. Saturday night. Montgomery’s family said he was at Fremos, a nearby bar, before the shots rang out. “I couldn’t believe it. Another victim to our society. Mine, one of mine. It hits different when it hits home,” said Sommer Jordan, Montgomery’s sister. Jordan and dozens of other family members and friends gathered together Sunday to honor Montgomery’s life. “You see everybody out here? We’re out here to celebrate his life, not his death, but his life,” said Janae Jordan, another one of his sisters.Montgomery died at the scene, and police are still trying to identify the shooter. “I have faith that we will get justice for Tremayne Montgomery,” said Janae Jordan.”We will. We will,” added Sommer Jordan.As Montgomery’s family now seeks justice, the Milwaukee Police Department is asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact them at 414-935-7360. Callers may remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or by using the P3 Tips app.Loved ones described Montgomery as an entrepreneur who always put family first. They have started an online fundraiser to help cover the unexpected funeral costs.
An Easter weekend shooting claimed the life of a 40-year-old father and grandfather.
Family has identified the victim as Tremayne “Trell” Montgomery.
Milwaukee police responded to the shooting near Hampton and Fond du Lac avenues at 11:50 p.m. Saturday night. Montgomery’s family said he was at Fremos, a nearby bar, before the shots rang out.
“I couldn’t believe it. Another victim to our society. Mine, one of mine. It hits different when it hits home,” said Sommer Jordan, Montgomery’s sister.
Jordan and dozens of other family members and friends gathered together Sunday to honor Montgomery’s life.
“You see everybody out here? We’re out here to celebrate his life, not his death, but his life,” said Janae Jordan, another one of his sisters.
Montgomery died at the scene, and police are still trying to identify the shooter.
“I have faith that we will get justice for Tremayne Montgomery,” said Janae Jordan.
“We will. We will,” added Sommer Jordan.
As Montgomery’s family now seeks justice, the Milwaukee Police Department is asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact them at 414-935-7360. Callers may remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or by using the P3 Tips app.
Loved ones described Montgomery as an entrepreneur who always put family first. They have started an online fundraiser to help cover the unexpected funeral costs.
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