After a grueling 1-3 West Coast road trip where they looked completely disconcerted, the Milwaukee Bucks returned to Fiserv Forum in desperate need of a victory.
They hosted the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers, playing without Joel Embiid as he recovers from midseason knee surgery. Milwaukee would also be playing without key pieces, with Khris Middleton and Malik Beasley both sidelined. Middleton has been out for a while now, but it was surprising to see Beasley listed on the injury report due to back spasms.
For much of the game, the Bucks played like they were still on the road, falling into a double-digit hole on multiple occasions. Still, the team buckled down late in the third and clawed their way back, eventually regaining the lead for good just over halfway through the final frame. Clicking late, the Bucks got a big bounce-back win with a 114-105 victory at home.
With Beasley out of the lineup, someone else on the roster would see extended time eating into those vacant minutes. Unsurprisingly, that player was goalie AJ Green, who came in and out of the rotation under Rivers. The sophomore double guard logged a career-high 28 minutes, and he made the most of every single one of them.
Offensively, Green showed his range by hitting three triples in seven attempts and was also fouled on another, leading to three free throws. With a mid-range jumper to go with him, Green poured in 14 points off the bench, giving the Milwaukee Bucks a significant spark they needed with an excellent shooter in Beasley unable to provide a similar spark.
Still, Green’s offensive performance shouldn’t overshadow what he did defensively. Although he didn’t knock out Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, he did a great job against a player who was in rhythm for most of the game. Match stats can be shaky at times, but Green was credited with holding Maxey to Shot 1 of 3the second best on the team among the players he shot against.
AJ Green’s defense against Tyrese Maxey this quarter is as good as I’ve seen any current Buck guard. Green played a lot this quarter and won every second.
–Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch) March 15, 2024
If Green can continue to shoot the ball well while playing quality defense, there needs to be a role for him in the Milwaukee Bucks rotation consistently.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the show with 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, but what really stood out was his efficiency. Not only was the Greek Freak 14 of 18 (77.8%) from the free throw line, but he was also 9 of 12 from the floor. The 76ers had no answers inside, paving the way for Antetokounmpo to have a go at it.
Brook Lopez, who has been a bit out of sorts lately, found his rhythm in this one, but rather than being a dominant threat down low, he was deadly from downtown. The center made five 3-pointers en route to a 19-point performance. His contributions didn’t stop there, as Lopez filled the stat sheet with seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal to cap off an excellent performance.
Damian Lillard missed a double-double, putting up 17 points and nine assists. He got into the action defensively with a steal and a block, the latter coming on former teammate Cameron Payne, who was shipped at the NBA trade deadline. Even when he’s not scoring points in a hurry, it’s great to see Lillard having an impact in other areas, especially defensively.
Helping off the bench alongside Green, Pat Connaughton continued his recent streak of strong play with nine points, four assists and three rebounds. Passing and playmaking were never key aspects of Connaughton’s game, but he was a maestro in this game, finding open shooters, like Green on a nice pass in the corner, or the open man down low.
On the other side of the court, Maxey scored 30 points in a complete display of his offensive arsenal, hitting triples while attacking the rim with authority. Tobias Harris helped with 15 and Payne had 13 coming off the bench, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Bucks.
Ultimately, this was a well-deserved bounce-back win for the Bucks, and they need to stay the course in crucial matchups against the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns.
Stay tuned for more analysis on the Milwaukee Bucks.
