Playing without a playmaker against the NBA's top defense, the Bucks lost 105-129 to the Timberwolves in Milwaukee. Low flight for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Hours before the game they sent Cam Payne to the Sixers and Robin Lopez to the Kings. With Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton out with injuries, they entered the matchup against the Timberwolves with ten men in a G-League tie with Washington-Livingston. Bucks wanted to, but couldn't win. They beat Fair and Square (105-129) and hope to get Dame and Middleton and Patrick Beverley, perhaps the 15th and final roster spot, as soon as possible.
Milwaukee falls to 33-19 (21-6 at home and 12-13 on the road), a stretch that includes five of its past six games. Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled, but he was the only target on the Minnesota defense, Jae Crowder found gaps and provided scores, but there was little else to keep the Bucks from there. Doc Rivers went through a six-man rotation before emptying his limited bench, with Malik Beasley disappointing against his former team on a night when they needed it most. A career-high AJ Green (27 points, 7/8 three-pointers) played the final 5:24 of Thanasis Antetokounmpo, used for the first time by his new coach, when it was all decided.
The Timberwolves went 36-16 (19-5 at home and 17-11 away), look to win a championship in the West and have fielded a very balanced team on both sides of the floor. Their defense, one of the best in the entire NBA, with Chris Finch scoring on Anthony Edwards bursts and his crew furiously and often nailing the basket at home, led the Bucks to their highest mark.
38-46 points on Rockets, 5-10 points on Surprise, 43-42 points off the bench thanks to A.J. Thanks to Green's career high, teams are averaging 11-13 points off opponent fouls, 15-20 points off second chances (offensive rebounds).
The Bucks' next opponent is the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday morning (10/2) at 03:00 in Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's account
He entered the game with a foul shot near the basket in the opening seconds, went 0/2 shooting and his first basket came with speed and an impressive poster nail. He made several shots with improbable passes, but he only had three assists in 8:36 of the first period and his team was charged with only one foul.
Second, his insistence on tying the game wore him down because the Bucs lacked depth until the Timberwolves could match the rotation. Rivers went for six and Beasley's 0-of-6 3-pointers in the first half gave them a 53-63 lead. He didn't get a break at the start of the second, and when he found some cracks, he didn't have a clear mind to finish the stages effectively. He left early and did not return to the competition.
- 17 points
- 7/12 Two points
- 3/7 shots
- 3 rebounds
- 7 assists
- 1 Steal
- 3 mistakes
- 1 is wrong
- -18 to +/-
- In 27 minutes
Dodecalepta: 26-30, 53-63, 75-102, 105-129
Milwaukee Bucks (Doc Rivers): Crowder 21 (4/5 threes, 8 rebounds, 5 assists), Giannis Antetokounmpo 17, Lopez 12 (2 threes, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks), Beasley 3 (0/9 threes, 4 rebounds) ), 3 assists), Connaughton 9 (1 3-pointer, 9 assists), Portis 12 (5/10 2-pointers, 9 rebounds, 3 assists), Jackson, Green 27 (7/8 3-pointers), Beauchamp 2 , Thanasis Antetokounmpo 2
Minnesota Timberwolves (Chris Finch): McDaniels 8 (2), Downs 19 (4/6 3-pointers, 5 rebounds), Gober 16 (8/9 2-pointers, 11 rebounds, 4 assists), Edwards 26 (4 3-pointers, 9 assists), Conley 18 (6/7 3-pointers, 5 rebounds, 9 assists), Alexander-Walker 7 (1 3-pointer, 3 rebounds, 4 assists), Anderson 8 (5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) , Reid 17 (2), Minot 5 (1), Moore, Nix 3 (1), Garza, Miller 2
Milwaukee Bucks Team Statistics: 26/48 2-pointers, 14/33 3-pointers, 11/16 shots, 43 rebounds, 35 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, 12 turnovers, 10 fouls
Minnesota Timberwolves Team Statistics: 27/46 2-pointers, 21/41 3-pointers, 12/16 shots, 46 rebounds, 34 assists, 7 steals, 3 blocks, 8 turnovers, 17 fouls
