Bucks Zone

3 Takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks' dramatic double-overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder

The shorthanded Bucks managed to steal a hard-earned victory in Oklahoma.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Bucks managed to get back on a winning track after their first loss of the season in Atlanta, as they battled the Oklahoma City Thunder without their 'Big 3' in double overtime, securing the 136-132 victory to improve to 10-1 on the season. Here are the three key takeaways from the game.

Carter's career night

With Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore left knee) and Jrue Holiday (sore left ankle) both out, the Bucks had their work carved out for them visiting the young and scrappy Thunder team. The rest of the team needed to step up, and that is precisely what happened.

Jevon Carter exploded and led the way, scoring 36 points and handing out 12 assists, breaking his career high in both categories, all while being extremely efficient (15-27 FG, 5-10 3PT). For Carter who has averaged 5.3 ppg this season, this kind of output was out of the world. 

“They put a lot of trust in me," Carter said about the team instilling confidence in him . "They told me to go out there and be me and be free.”

Head coach Mike Budenholzer was impressed with his guard.

“He’s a guy that loves to play basketball, loves to compete," Budenholzer said. "He’s got a ton of confidence. It’s great to see him take advantage of this opportunity, every opportunity. He’s one of those guys, I think, when you give him a look, give him a crack, he’s going to come busting through it.”

Brook keeping it steady

Aside from Carter who led the way, Bucks center Brook Lopez continued his stellar play on the year, once again stepping up and proving he is playing some of the best basketball of his career. Lopez had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks, solidifying his spot at the top of the best shot blockers in the NBA.

Lopez also got fouled by Lugentz Dort with 0.2 seconds left in the first overtime, leading to Brook tying the game and sending it into the second overtime. Brook definitely wasn't happy that he missed the chance to end the game then, by missing one free throw, but as the Bucks took care of business in the second overtime, Lopez probably felt a relief.

MarJon's second-half explosion

Rookie MarJon Beauchamp is not getting too many minutes to start the year, but with key players out, the talented rookie has got some burn, showcasing that the potential is there. After a few up-and-down performances, Beauchamp had the best showing of his young career.

MarJon scored all of his 19 points in the second half, shooting an efficient 7-11 from the field and 5-7 from deep. Picking up the pace after a quiet first half was key for the Bucks, and coach Budenholzer recognized that.

“His second half, we really needed that," Budenholzer said. “We needed somebody else to kind of step and help us and put the ball in the basket. ... It was impressive.”

Next up: The Bucks are ending their three-game road trip in San Antonio by playing the Spurs on Friday.

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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.