Bucks Zone

The Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks notch 3rd straight win, beat the Brooklyn Nets

The Milwaukee Bucks won again despite not having Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Matthew Dugandzic|
The Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks notch 3rd straight win, beat the Brooklyn Nets
The Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks notch 3rd straight win, beat the Brooklyn Nets

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Milwaukee BucksBrooklyn Nets

Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his second straight game, but it didn’t stop the Milwaukee Bucks from picking up yet another win as they turned back the short-handed Brooklyn Nets, 118-113, on Thursday night.

It was the Bucks third straight win and their 19th in the last 20 games, stretching their NBA-best record to 48-18.

No Giannis, no problem

Antetokounmpo missed his second straight game with a sore right hand. He also did not play in Milwaukee’s 134-123 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night due to a non-COVID-19 illness.

Without Giannis, Bobby Portis Jr. and Brook Lopez picked up the scoring slack and combined for 52 points.

Portis Jr. finished with a season-high 28 points and 13 rebounds, while Lopez came through with 24 points, ten boards, a career-high nine blocks, three assists, and a steal.

Grayson Allen added 19 points, while Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday contributed 11 apiece.

Bringing it home in the clutch

Pouncing on the Nets’ depleted roster, the Bucks were quick to post a sizable lead and ended the opening period with a 37-20 cushion.

Brooklyn, however, moved within striking distance after the third, 80-87, but the best they could do was to move within 110-112 in the final 46 seconds.

Lopez scored on a follow-up and came up with a massive block in the next play before Jevon Carter scored in a crucial sequence, making it 116-110 with only 16.1 seconds left.

Playing without several key players, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton, and Ben Simmons, the Nets lost for the third time in four meetings with the Bucks this season and dropped to 37-29. Patty Mills paced the Nets with 23 points, while Cam Thomas had 21. 

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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.