Bucks – Nets 97-107: Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee finish preseason with five losses in five games

For a team with 16 players from last year’s roster and few newcomers, preseason tryouts don’t matter much, at least in terms of build chemistry, cohesion, and automation. The Bucks have kept not only their core, but almost all the potential of last season, they are waiting for the return of the injured, they carefully manage their leader and five losses in five preseason games do not scare them.

Beaten by the Brooklyn Nets (97-107) at the Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee team now has eight days to regroup and travel to Philadelphia in the best possible condition, where they will face off in the early hours of October 21st The Sixers will line up James Harden and Joel Embiid in the 82-game regular season opener.

The 2021 Champions were without the injured Wesley Matthews, Khris Middleton, Joe Ingles and the ailing Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and the Nets were without Seth Curry, Joe Harris, TJ Warren, three players who would, at least in theory, have an important role in rotation. The upside for them is that Ben Simmons looked in good shape, especially mentally, he hit a triple-double and seems to fit in well alongside Kyrie Irving-Kevin Durant as nobody is asking him to score in spurts. He’ll play defense, collect rebounds, create and everyone will be happy.

The Greek freak’s account

Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t at his best, but that makes sense. He won’t even feature in the first official games and it could be a few weeks before he dominates as the Bucks will be wary of him after the very long and physically and mentally painful summer he spent with the Greek national team .

24 points
6/19 two points
0/2 three-hand
12/15 shots
13 rebounds
4 assists
3 steals
4 errors
3 fouls
+4 to +/-
at 32:02

There were times when he was unstoppable. There were times when he looked rusty. There were times when he was reduced to a spectator role and others when he pushed and pushed. He may have played a little more than he should, but he has several days ahead of him, a full week, to combine rest and work and be ready to meet the Sixers.

The stats that stood out

At the end of the night, the Bucks were ten points behind the bat (34-44), 14 fewer turnovers (9-23), ten fewer turnovers (25-35), four fewer second chances (7-11) and eight fewer than the opponent’s mistakes (19-27). They were also 13 fewer in assists, with Holiday having four final passes for seven turnovers, but also the same rebounds as the Portis-Lopez duo with just seven in 52 minutes.

The race

With Holiday, Carter, Antetokounmpo, Portis, Lopez and Milwaukee opened the game in which the Nets met the home team’s point guard under the screen. Holliday made the free throws, but apart from Giannis, nobody provided any real help in the first period, with the 25-33 being the result of the excellent Ben Simmons (6/3/6) and the 13/16 two-pointers the visitors had.

The picture of the game didn’t change in the second twelve minutes as the Bucks had plenty of errors that punished their opponents but also an ineffective defense in the bat, with Royce O’Neal hitting a three-pointer from behind the center for 51-. 59 rest. Durant didn’t have a huge appetite, but Irving and Claxton were there for Brooklyn, who also threw five shots in the trash.

Many expected the Bucks to counterattack in the third twelve minutes, but this didn’t happen. The Deer didn’t step on the gas, they didn’t have enough energy, they continued to struggle to defend the bat and with Durant’s shots three minutes from the end of the period they were -16 (65-81). Giannis stayed grounded without feeling dominant, finding spaces and having moments of magic, but Irving and Durant were unstoppable from the perimeter for the 75-92, leaving no hope of an upset in Milwaukee.

Giannis kicked the floor for some final possessions early in the fourth quarter, but that match didn’t turn. As much as Antetokounmpo was stubborn and wanted to flip the switch that seemed stuck. Essentially, Budenholzer kept his starters in the game for no reason while Nash pulled his own back with an 11-0 run to take the lead to seven (93-100) with six minutes left. That’s how far the Bucks made it, ending the preseason clearly beaten at 0/5.

THE DODECALPTA: 25-33, 51-59, 75-92, 97-107

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (Mike Budenholzer): Giannis Antetokounmpo 24 (6/19 2-points, 0/2 3-points, 12/15 shots, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls in 32:02), Portis 8 (1), Lopez 5 (1), Holiday 20 (5/9 2-pointers, 3/6 3-pointers, 1/2 shots, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 turnovers), Carter 15 (3/6 2- Pointers, 3/6 3 pointers, 4 assists, 3 steals), Noora 5 (1), Ibaka 4, Mamukelashvili, Green, Botchamp 6 (2/3 3 pointers), Bolden, Wigginton 2

BROOKLYN NETWORKS (Steve Nash): Durant 19 (5/11 2-pointers, 2/6 3-pointers, 3/4 shots, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals), O’Neal 7 (1), Claxton 16 (7/ 8 2-pointers, 2/6 shots, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks), Irving 23 (4/9 2-pointers, 4/10 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, 4 assists), Simmons 7 (3/5 2 pointers, 1/4 shots, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals), Mills 2, Sharpe 11 (5/5 2 pointers, 5 rebounds, 5 steals), Watanabe 6 (2), Morris 4, Thomas 11 ( 5/8 2 points), Duke, Edwards, Williams 1

Milwaukee Bucks team stats: 21/49 2-pointers, 13/33 3-pointers, 16/21 shots, 52 rebounds, 19 assists, 11 steals, 1 block, 22 turnovers, 19 fouls

Brooklyn Nets team stats: 34/54 2-pointers, 9/30 3-pointers, 12/22 shots, 52 rebounds, 32 assists, 17 steals, 8 blocks, 14 turnovers, 19 fouls