Milwaukee, WI

Bucks vs. Nets: Bucks bench begets big boost

Published

1 month ago

December 9, 2024

Bucks vs. Nets: Bucks bench begets big boost

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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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee ICE detention facility proposed for city's northwest side

Published

41 minutes ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee ICE detention facility proposed for city's northwest side

article

What we know:

MILWAUKEE – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Milwaukee, an alderwoman announced Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Ald. Larresa Taylor, who represents Milwaukee’s 9th District, said DHS requested modifications to a building located at 11925 W. Lake Park Dr. Those modifications include adding a sally port and a chain link fence with privacy slats. A sally port would be used to transport prisoners to and from the facility.

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“I want District 9, and the rest of the city, to know that we do not support the Department of Homeland Security in their decision to move into our district, and we definitely do not support any such modifications to any building in our district (as a location to house prisoners!),” Taylor said in a statement.

What’s next:

Taylor scheduled a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday outside the building. She invited all organizations that will be impacted to join her, noting “Milwaukee’s 9th Aldermanic District will no longer be Wisconsin’s dumping ground for detention facilities.”

The Source: Ald. Larresa Taylor provided information.

MilwaukeeNews

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Milwaukee, WI

Criminal justice advocates express high hopes for Milwaukee’s new district attorney | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Published

10 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Criminal justice advocates express high hopes for Milwaukee’s new district attorney | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

In the Milwaukee County Safety Building at 821 W. State St., Kent Lovern discusses his past, present and future as a prosecutor within the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. (Photo by Devin Blake)

District Attorney-elect Kent Lovern has made it a priority to listen to residents on the North and South sides of Milwaukee.

“What I have heard loudly and clearly is everyone wants to feel safe, and everyone wants that safety in their daily lives, and they want that for their children,” Lovern said.

At a ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 16, Lovern will be publicly recognized in his new role. With nearly 30 years of experience as a prosecutor, he’s recognized for his collaborative approach to systemic issues.

Lovern focuses on collaborations outside his office, in part, because he believes these collaborations are necessary to sustainably reduce violence and increase public safety in Milwaukee.

“I just feel like we need to better connect into one another and develop our own system of public safety – one that is really framed up as community development, economic development, educational development and the public safety comes with that,” he said.

Among Milwaukee’s large network of criminal justice advocates, many say they feel heard by Lovern.

“Kent has always been thoughtful and responsive to me,” said Emilio De Torre, executive director of Milwaukee Turners, which advocates for various criminal justice initiatives as well as those impacted by the criminal justice system.

Working together

“We can’t unring the bell of a crime, right? If somebody commits a crime, like myself, they need to be prosecuted,” said Adam Procell, who coordinates the monthly resource fair Home to Stay, for formerly incarcerated individuals reentering society. “But after that time period, when somebody gets out, he (Lovern) also understands that if we don’t provide the person with an opportunity to lead an optimal lifestyle, they’re going to have to prosecute them again for another crime.”

For Lovern, people reentering have a unique ability to lead others away from crime.

“People returning back to communities, looking to be proactive members of their community, looking for ways to help mentor young people and help instruct young people about the pitfalls and the mistakes they made – that’s a very powerful group,” he said.

Milwaukee County has the largest population of people on parole, probation or extended supervision in the state. At the end of October, nearly 13,000 people were under supervision, state correctional data show.

“On the whole, I have heard more interest in reentry across the board … than I have heard at any time in my career,” Lovern said.

Causes of crime

Lovern’s support of reentry is consistent with an overall preventive approach to crime.

He cites the relationship between drug addiction and crime as a good example.

“We’ve had a strong approach to this for some time, because right after John (Chisholm) was elected, 18 years ago, we created an early intervention unit, and that was immediately designed to offer opportunities for people to work through a criminal charge…and we’ve seen a lot of success with that.”

WISDOM, a statewide faith-based organization, wants Lovern to expand on this philosophy.

“There’s a lot of room for certainly expanding treatment alternatives to incarceration for people living with mental illness and with addiction issues, and there are many opportunities to divert more people from the system. I’m definitely optimistic that those types of programs will continue and will expand,” said Mark Rice, coordinator of WISDOM’s Wisconsin Transformational Justice Campaign.

Lovern is proud of Milwaukee’s mental health courts, which address cases involving mental health concerns, including assessments of competence and insanity pleas.

An intermediate goal the DA’s office is close to achieving, he said, is increasing the number of cases handled in these courts to 30 cases on an ongoing basis, compared to 10 cases previously.

“Somebody might come first through the police department or to the DA ‘s office, and we may be saying, ‘Look, this person isn’t really committing criminal behavior – the bigger concern here is the mental health piece,’” said Lovern.

Current crime and safety risks

Recent data from the Milwaukee Police Department show notable declines since 2023 in violent crimes, especially homicides and non-fatal shootings, and a reduction in most property crimes.

But certain violent crimes have increased since 2022, including robberies and carjackings.

“There’s no question that there is additional work that needs to be done to drive down the level of violent crime we see in this community,” Lovern said.

The problem, he added, is not evenly spread throughout the city.

A quarter of Milwaukee County homicides since 2023 occurred in only two ZIP codes.

“Everyone’s concerned about crime everywhere, but we know where the concentrations of violent crime exist,” said Lovern, adding that many residents in these neighborhoods tell him that we need “a strong response” to crime and that these “neighborhoods need to be valued.”

Limits of the office

Rice, of WISDOM, does not want fairness and justice to be lost, however.

“We still in Wisconsin incarcerate Black people at one of the highest rates in the nation,” he said. “There’s a lot of discretion up front when plea bargains are reached in terms of who gets diverted from the system and who goes in.”

Rice and others also worry about the systemic limitations of the DA’s office to address such problems.

“Jobs like the DA’s office, mayor’s office, police chief tend to be very difficult, with unforeseen pressures and inherent flaws in how they’ve been systemized over the years,” said De Torre, of Milwaukee Turners. “The real test is how a person acts and what they do within a flawed system.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Khris Middleton out tonight vs. Kings. Starters, TV channel, odds

Published

17 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Khris Middleton out tonight vs. Kings. Starters, TV channel, odds

The Milwaukee Bucks try to bounce back tonight vs. the Sacramento Kings following a disappointing 34-point loss to New York on Sunday.

The Bucks (20-17) have won three of four and are in a dogfight in the middle of the Eastern Conference as they begin the day two games behind the Knicks in the loss column for the No. 3 seed but are behind Orlando (23-18) and Indiana (22-18) in the playoff standings.

The Magic, led by Milwaukee native and head coach Jamahl Mosley, are in town tomorrow night.

Sacramento fired head coach Mike Brown on Dec. 27 when they were 13-18 and under interim head coach Doug Christie the Kings have seven in a row and are 20-19 overall.

Is Giannis playing?

He is probable to play vs. the Kings. He has been managing pain in his right knee since training camp but has yet to miss a game with the issue.

Khris Middleton ruled out of Kings game

First, Khris Middleton was pushed back to the bench and now the team is taking him out of back-to-back situations. Middleton played 12 straight games from Dec. 6-Jan. 4, including a back-to-back set on Dec. 20-21.

But on Jan. 8 he was moved to the bench because of his continued minute restriction and issues surrounding his complete return from offseason ankle surgeries.

And he was immediately ruled out of Tuesday night’s game against the Kings on Monday, presumably to make sure he’s ready to play in a more important Eastern Conference game against Orlando on Wednesday night.

In a Bucks win over the Magic on Jan. 10 in Florida, Middleton scored 11 points and had four assists in just under 23 minutes of play.

Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. hosts coat drive

Second-year Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. is hosting a coat drive outside Fiserv Forum prior to home games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. New and gently used coats, hats, gloves and scarves will be accepted and donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and the Greater Amsterdam School District. Cash donations are accepted online here: Andre Jackson Coats | Powered By GiveSmart

The 23-year-old guard is from Amsterdam, New York, and played collegiately at the University of Connecticut.

What channel is the Bucks game on?

The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast local on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.