Bucks Zone

3 Key takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks' loss versus the Philadelphia 76ers

The short-handed 76ers squad rallied around Embiid and took a big victory versus Giannis and the crew.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Bucks lost their 4th game of the season, as the Philadelphia 76ers got the better of them, winning 102-110 in front of their loud and rowdy crowd. This was most definitely a high-intensity and chippy matchup between some of the best teams in the East, but Joel Embiid managed to get the better of fellow superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in this matchup.

Here are the 3 key takeaways from the game.

Role players stepped up for Philly

The 76ers went into this matchup short-handed, missing two key starters in James Harden and Tobias Harris. When Tyrese Maxey went down late in the first half with an ankle injury, after coming out scoring hot, having 24 points and 5 assists in limited minutes, things weren't looking pretty for the home team.

But Embiid managed to rally the troops and take charge, posting an all-around great stat line, scoring 32 points alongside 11 rebounds and 8 assists. But it was about the next man up, as rotational guys like Georges Niang (17pts), Shake Milton (15pts), and De'Anthony Melton (10pts) all played a huge part in the win.

On the other side, Giannis led the way with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. Booby Portis Jr. was also hot, notching 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Brook Lopez chipped in 15 points and 4 blocks. Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen both returned from injuries, but surprisingly they both came off the bench, without their usual production.

Free-throw struggles

Despite having a good game, while being solidly efficient from the floor (10-22 FG), the crucial part of the Bucks loss was Giannis struggling majorly from the free-throw line. Antetokounmpo made only 4 out of 15 free throws on the night, as the Philly crowd got louder with every miss.

After last night's game, Giannis is only shooting 58.7% from the charity stripe, and his three-point percentage also is taking a fall, shooting only 22.5% from deep on the season.

3rd quarter struggles

The Bucks had control of the game in the first half, leading even by 13 at one point, but the start of the second half wasn't pretty. Embiid got going, P.J. Tucker played some great defense on Giannis, and the 76ers managed to turn the game around completely in their favor, winning the quarter 22-34.

Philly would keep that momentum in the 4th quarter, control the rest of the game and secure a big win despite all the injuries to their team. That win took the Sixers finally over 500. (8-7), while the Bucks are now 11-4 on the year.

What's next

The Bucks return home to get ready to take on Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

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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.