Monday night’s match against the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks promised to be an interesting and close game. With the Bucks in 2nd in the Eastern Conference and the Nets in 5th, went to the Barclays Center Arena with a lot of energy and determination. The match came down to seconds deciding the winner, and when the clock ran out, it was Brooklyn who extended their lead and brought home a victory.
This game between these two groups was one of, if not the closest match for each; the largest lead was by the Nets at 11 points just after the middle of the 3rd quarter, while Milwaukee’s longest stride on top was only by 6 at the very end of the 1st. Both teams were constantly back and forth with scoring points, and they went into halftime with a score of 56-57, the Nets only up by 1.
Every time the Nets scored, Milwaukee responded right away and vice versa. Every player on the court had a fire in their eyes that drove them to be better than their opponent. Once again, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) came out and did his thing, putting up 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. His teammates Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday also had something to prove. Middleton was second to Antetokounmpo in points with 25, earned 4 rebounds, and had 4 assists. Holiday managed 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. All three of these leaders were starters in the game and had over 35 minutes of play each.
Unfortunately, Brooklyn had a little more fight in them and gained themselves another victory. On their side for stats, it was shooting guard James Harden that obtained the most points at 34. Harden also had 6 rebounds and 12 assists for his squad. Power forward Kevin Durant was only 4 points off him with 30 and secured 9 rebounds with another 6 assists. Together, these two dominant players controlled the ball for their team and were the primary key to outscoring the Bucks.
The Nets also had better accuracy when it came to all aspects of shooting. They completed 54.8% of field goals, 48.4% of three-pointers, and 85.7% of free throws. Milwaukee didn’t even come close to Brooklyn’s percentages, only making 43.8% of field goals, 29.7% of three-pointers, and 83.3% of free throws. Other places the Nets had an advantage in were their assists (26-21), rebounds (55-49), and blocks (5-3).
A major factor in this game came down to turnovers and how many points each team could convert when stealing the ball. Despite Milwaukee only giving up 6 turnovers, Brooklyn wasted no time having the upper hand and put up 18 points. Now the Bucks were a different story. Brooklyn had 17 total turnovers in the game, but Milwaukee wasn’t as quick to react as their opponents when they gave up the ball. After 17 turnovers by the Nets, the Bucks only got 10 points out of it. Organization on turnover plays is key, and Milwaukee did not adjust accordingly.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the night was the end of the 4th quarter when there were just seconds left in the game. Milwaukee came from behind and put the score to 123-122 with less than a minute to go. It looked as if for sure the Bucks were going to have their 10th win of the season. However, Kevin Durant for the Nets had other plans. After James Harden missed a 26-foot 3-point jumper, he had an offensive rebound and sent the ball to Durant. With just 36 seconds left on the game clock, Durant made a 27-foot 3-point jumper that lifted his team over the Bucks to be at 125-123. Milwaukee could not bounce back, and this would end the match.
Up Next
Milwaukee (9-5) takes on the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Thursday, January 21st, at 7:00 ET. The game will be played at Fiserv Forum Arena and broadcasted on NBA League Pass, TNT, Spectrum SportsNet.
Brooklyn (9-6) will travel to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, January 20th at 7:00 ET. These teams are set to play at Quicken Loans Arena and streamed on NBA League Pass, YES Network, and Fox Sports Ohio.
