Bucks Zone

The Milwaukee Bucks pull away late to beat the Brooklyn Nets

The Bucks post their second-straight win versus the Nets this season.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Bucks quickly returned on the winning track by pulling off a lopsided 144-122 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

The Nets rested three players who played on Tuesday night in Detroit, and the Bucks were quick to capitalize to move up to 2-1 in their four-game road trip.

Milwaukee will end the road trip with a duel with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a near triple-double performance, finishing with 32 points, ten rebounds and eight assists.

Damian Lillard settled for just 12 points, but Khris Middleton, Malik Beasley, and three reserves helped pick up the scoring slack as the Bucks improved to 23-8 on the season.

Catching fire from three

Middleton tallied 27 points and ten assists, Beasley had 17, Cameron Payne added points, Bobby Portis Jr. had 14, and MarJon Beauchamp chipped in 11 points.

Three-point conversions were a significant factor in the contest. The Bucks made 23 of their 51 attempts from three-point range, with Payne and Beasley dropping five each.

The Nets dropped to 15-16 and could only make seven of their 32 three-point attempts.

Bucks tear game apart in endgame

It was actually a close game in the early goings, but without Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton, and Cam Johnson, the Nets fizzled out in the closing minutes.

The Bucks were only ahead by one with 1:44 left in the third quarter, 91-90, but ended the period with a 9-2 run to build a 100-92 lead.

Milwaukee’s lead ballooned to 120-106 halfway through the fourth period, and the game was never close since then. The Bucks exploded for 44 points in the final stanza to seal the game, pulling away.

Jalen Wilson led the Nets with 21 points and ten rebounds, Trenton Watson added 17, while Dennis Smith Jr. and rookie Noah Clowney chipped in 14 each.

Cam Thomas, who exploded for 45 points in the two teams’ first meeting on November 6th, was also won by the Bucks, 129-125, and only managed eight points in 11 minutes of play.

Milwaukee Bucks remain in no. 4 of The Athletic’s Power Rankings

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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.