Bucks Zone

3 key takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks' convincing loss against the Brooklyn Nets

The Bucks couldn't stop the Nets on the way to their 8th straight victory.
Matthew Dugandzic|
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The Milwaukee Bucks couldn't stop the red-hot Brooklyn Nets last night, as they lost to their Eastern Conference rival 100-118, without too much of a shot to take this game and stop the Nets' winning streak. Here are the 3 key takeaways from the game.

Giannis disappeared in the clutch

Before the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo was placed on the injury report and listed as questionable, making many fans think the Greek Freak won't suit up for the Nets game. But Giannis showed up on the court and played well.

Antetokounmpo finished with 26 points (9-13 FG, 8-11 FT), 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. Giannis was rolling and playing efficiently through the first three quarters, battling it out with Kevin Durant.

But the Greek Freak could not finish the deal, as he didn't score a point or attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter, getting isolated from the action and playing too passively for his standards.

Turnover problems

Taking care of the ball has been one of the most glaring weaknesses the Bucks have presented in the first part of the season, being often a big reason for their losses. Last night's game was a perfect example of that.

Milwaukee committed 18 turnovers which led to 24 points from turnovers for Brooklyn, giving them a lot of easy buckets. Head coach Mike Budenholter reflected on that after the game:

“We’ve got to take better care of the ball," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ve got to make better decisions. We can’t just have possessions without shots. It’s on me. I think I’ve got to coach them better and we’ve got to work to take care of the ball better.”

A full team effort from the Nets

Usually, the Bucks rout their opponents with their depth, but last night it was the Nets that got a full-squad effort that led them to the win. Aside from the two stars in Kevin Durant (24p, 6r, 5as) and Kyrie Irving (18p, 9r, 6a), Brooklyn got a lot from young big man Nic Claxton who scored 19 points (9-10 FG), along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Royce O'Neale was hot from deep, scoring 17 points (5-8 3PT), and Ben Simmons rounded out the well-balanced performance from the starting unit, bringing in 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.

The Nets as a team had 30 assists and it was apparent that they were clicking on all cylinders and looking like a completely different team compared to the start of the season. Even a defensive juggernaut like Milwaukee couldn't stop them on their way to 118 points.

What's next

The Milwaukee Bucks are traveling to Boston to face the Celtics for their Christmas Day matchup on Sunday in the battle of the two first seeds in the Eastern Conference.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.