Four Takeaways from Bucks' Overtime Comeback Win Over Pistons

Giannis Antetokounmpo showed out with a spectacular two-way performance.

Nov 13, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) loses control of the ball during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

With All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, perpetual Sixth Man of the Year also-ran Bobby Portis, former three-time All-Star Khris Middleton, new starting shooting guard Andre Jackson Jr., and even Lillard's backup Ryan Rollins all shelved, the onus fell to All-NBA Milwaukee Bucks power forward and All-Defensive Team center Brook Lopez to pick up the slack and deliver the club its second straight win in two days on Wednesday night, against a younger, deeper, scrappier Detroit Pistons club.

This hard-fought victory, a 127-120 overtime squeaker, came about thanks in large part to those two frontcourt veterans' two-way dominance. Milwaukee won two games in a row for the first time this year, improving its record to a still-bad 4-8. The Pistons, meanwhile, dropped to 5-8. In the lowly Eastern Conference, that's still good for a play-in seed (as of now).

After trailing by as many as 18 points in the game's opening half, the Bucks managed to rally in the contest's third frame, outscoring Detroit 38-24, mostly behind the efforts of their only two available regular starters.

Although the younger, quicker Pistons embarrassed the Bucks in fullcourt sets, outscoring them 31-12 in fastbreak points, Milwaukee managed to grind out a victory behind savvy veteran leadership. But will that sustain over a full season, especially given the age of the club's core four — Lopez is 36, Lillard is 34, Middleton is 33, and even Antetokounmpo turns 30 in December, with tons of playoff mileage — and the rawness of everyone else not named Bobby Portis?

Giannis Antetokounmpo's 59 Points Are The Most Scored This Season... By Anyone

Milwaukee quickly fell behind in the game's first quarter, only to watch its best player put the club on its back, as indeed he wound up doing all night. Antetokounmpo individually started off strong, with a career-high 22 points in the contest's first quarter alone. Given that the Bucks only scored 24 points in the frame (the Pistons had 27), it's pretty clear that the team needed each and every bucket their best player gave them. Early and often.

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The 6-foot-11 superstar was in his bag all night, scoring from all over the floor, not just around the rim. Antetokounmpo showed off his back-to-the-basket game, but was even confident with his jumpers beyond the paint. In 43:37, he finished with a superlative 59 points on 21-of-34 shooting from the floor (1-of-2 from long range) and 16-of-17 from the foul line, while grabbing 14 rebounds, dishing out seven assists, blocking three shots and swiping two steals.

This was Antetokounmpo's ninth-ever game scoring 50 or more points, and his tenth including the postseason (as Bucks fans will no doubt remember, Antetokounmpo scored 50 points against the Phoenix Suns to clinch his first-ever NBA title in 2021).

Is it ominous, however, that it took an absolutely Herculean effort from one of the league's best players for this Bucks team to record just its fourth win, in a bonus period, across its first 12 games? Definitely.

Giannis Antetokounmpo And Brook Lopez Saved The Day Down The Stretch

Together, Antetokounmpo and Lopez combined to score 50 of the team's 80 points in the game's critical second half and overtime frame. Antetokounmpo also had seven assists during that window, meaning he was actually directly responsible for even more of the Bucks' offense.

Lopez's defense around the rack proved particularly dissuading for Detroit's driving guards. The 7-foot-1 vet rejected five shots on Wednesday night, including most memorable this devastating block over Cade Cunningham:

Brook Lopez had FIVE monster blocks tonight to go along with a season-high 29 points, eight rebounds, five 3’s, and three steals.

It’s not always consistent with Lopez but the big man is still a valuable component of Milwaukee’s recipe for success. pic.twitter.com/LJtLNV9r4Q

— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) November 14, 2024

As Jake Weinbach notes, Lopez also enjoyed his best offensive night of the year. The Stanford product scored a season-most 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor (including a whopping 5-of-8 from distance) and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, grabbed eight rebounds, and swiped two shots, in addition to the aforementioned season-high five blocks. At his best, like tonight, he remains a perfect two-way compliment to Antetokounmpo.

But the issues for him now are consistency and health. Lopez is one of just six players still active from his 2008 NBA Draft class, and the only one among those six who remains a starter. He suited up for 70 or more games twice across the past four seasons, but missed 69 contests in 2021-22. His scoring had looked to be on a downturn prior to Wednesday night, and he had been spread far too thin on defense by having to clean up messes left by the Bucks' turnstile guards.

Antetokounmpo did look to get his colleagues more involved late in the game, and the club ratcheted up the pressure defensively as the going got tough, too. But he and Lopez were the story. Their teammates generally struggled. Only two other players — veteran's minimum signings Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. — even scored more than six points (both did get into double digits), despite Doc Rivers opting for a streamlined eight-man lineup.

Did The Bucks Win The Game... Or Did Ron Holland Lose It?

Detroit wing Ron Holland II blew the game. A 92 percent free throw shooter heading into the matchup, the Pistons' rookie lottery pick let the pressure get to him late, missing both of what could have been game-winning free throws with one second remaining on the shot clock. He had been thwarted by Antetokounmpo in an attempt around the rim, and attendant referees had award him the two foul shots. After Holland missed and Detroit failed to recover the ball for an easy putback, the game was quickly sent into overtime, where Milwaukee took over for good.

Holland otherwise enjoyed an encouraging night. Drawing the start, he scored 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor and 1-of-3 shooting from the charity stripe, plus four rebounds, two assists and a steal, while showing off his athleticism and a good knack for reading the opposition's offense. But all he'll remember is botching what would have been a surprise road victory against Giannis Antetokounmpo on a heater.

The Bucks Still Have A Defensive Problem In Their Backcourt

Beyond Holland, maximum-salaried former No. 1 Pistons draft pick Cade Cunningham proved problematic for Milwaukee's backcourt defensively all night. The 6-foot-6 Oklahoma State product finished with a season-high 35 points on a patchy 13-of-34 shooting from the floor (5-of-10 from long range) and 4-of-4 shooting from the foul line, 11 assists (against a rough six turnovers), seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

The very shorthanded Bucks were starting Delon Wright and AJ Green in their backcourt. That less-than-dynamic duo combined for three points, total, on 1-of-9 shooting from the floor, while taking no free throws. Wright did compensate for this somewhat with his passing game, as he chipped in a team-most eight assists. Both were at least active defensively, and faster and more engaged on that end than Lillard or Trent ever had been. But neither is a present-day solution to the team's issues with expanded starting roles.

Overall, despite their shockingly sluggish start to the 2024-25 season, the Bucks appear to be sort of righting the ship. The team also, frankly, benefits from playing in the NBA junior varsity conference. Milwaukee should be able to rack up wins against the East's dregs, and — provided Antetokounmpo stays healthy — should secure enough victories against similarly middle-of-the-pack squads to finish the year with a winning record. They sure don't look like they're going to make any noise in the playoffs, however, without some major personnel changes.

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