3 Takeaways from Bucks' Possibly Season-Saving Win Over Jazz

Milwaukee is back in the winner's circle after a six-game losing streak.

Nov 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) reaches for the ball against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Andre Jackson Jr. (44) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are back in the winners' circle again, after a six-game losing streak.

There are plenty of caveats to their 123-100 Thursday night victory over the lowly Utah Jazz. Chief among them, of course is that this was a matchup of two 1-6 clubs (and thus the Jazz are now 1-7, while the Bucks have improved to a still-bad 2-6). The other big issue is that it's not yet clear if this was a permanent sea change or just a temporary reprieve from a doomed season start. More might be revealed on Friday night, when Milwaukee travels to Madison Square Garden to suit up against the 3-4 New York Knicks, a hard-working if very light-on-depth squad.

Here are our takeaways from the blowout triumph, starting of course with the top headline of evening:

1. Doc Rivers Took The Right Risk With His Andre Jackson Jr. Promotion

It's been clear since Game 1 that Gary Trent Jr. was a horrific defensive backcourt pairing with All-Star point guard Damian Lillard. Together, the two cultivated a turnstile defense that essentially gave opposing guards free reign to drive to the basket seemingly at will against them.

Trent's signing looked like the coup of the capped-out Bucks' summer. He was coming off an $18.6 million contract with the Toronto Raptors, and had averaged 13.7 points on .426/.393/.771 shooting splits, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals in his 71 contests with the club, across 28.1 minutes a night. Now, his offense appears to have cratered, too. The 6-foot-5 swingman is averaging a paltry 7.3 points on .295/.231/.929 shooting splits, 1.4 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks a game, averaging a similar 26.9 minutes per.

Rivers finally listened to his eyes and demoted Trent, who played just 7:52 in a blowout, and may become the team's tenth man (whenever Khris Middleton returns).

In Trent's stead, Rivers inserted a far more athletic, broader, younger option: 6-foot-6 second-year wing Andre Jackson Jr. Like he has all year, Jackson had a modest-but-efficient scoring night. In 28:19, he notched seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor (1-of-1 from deep), four assists, four steals, and three rebounds, as well as a +19 plus-minus. He also submitted solid defense and helped offset Lillard's lack of effort on that end of the floor.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard's Offense Soared Far Above Anyone Else's

The Bucks' two All-Stars each scored over 30 points again, while only two other Bucks, both backups, scored in double digits at all, with neither reaching 20 points (no Jazz player reached 20 points, either). Milwaukee's offense has been thrown completely out of whack with Middleton indefinitely shelved, as no one else has been able to score very consistently while the team's defense has cratered, just two seasons removed from its Jrue Holiday heyday.

Lillard led all scorers with 34 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field (4-of-11 fro long range) and 6-of-7 shooting from the foul line, seven assists, four rebounds and four steals in 37:02.

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, logged 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the floor and 9-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe, grabbed 16 boards, dished out two dimes, swiped one steal and blocked a shot.

Lillard and Antetokounmpo also pushed Milwaukee into double-figure lead terrain midway through the third quarter. The Jazz had a one-point lead, 71-70, at the 6:10 mark before Damian Lillard keyed an 18-6 run that put the Bucks up 88-77 at the end of the frame. The two superstars scored or passed for 17 of those 18 points, mostly around teh basket.

3. The Bucks' Depth Helped Milwaukee Break Away for Good in the Fourth Period

Guard AJ Green, reserve power forward/center Bobby Portis and guard Pat Connaughton helped the Bucks build out an 18-point lead early into the fourth frame. Portis has been in a massive shooting slump, while Green is still blossoming. Portis By 3:25, Rivers was subbing out his stars for good and calling it a night.

Portis finished with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field (3-of-6 from beyond the arc) and 2-of-3 shooting from the foul line and six rebounds. Green was Milwaukee's only other double digit scorer (12 points), while only shooting from 3-point range (he went 4-of-6).

More Bucks: Milwaukee's Doc Rivers Releases Supportive Statement on Donald Trump Winning 2024 Election