Bucks Zone

What we learned from the Milwaukee Bucks’ blowout of the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Bucks leaned on their veteran savvy to get them past the Cavs.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Bucks 126-116 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday was not an easy victory by any means. In between the turmoil and media frenzy surrounding the sudden firing of head coach Adrian Griffin, the Bucks still needed to play the game and leaned on their veteran savvy to pull off the win.

Experience matters

During adversity, players often find comfort in doing what they do best. For the Bucks’ trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton, this meant leading the team through their on-court play. With a combined 87 points, the trio showed why they form the backbone of a legitimate title contender this season.

But it wasn't just their scoring that made a difference. Their experience and leadership also helped guide the rest of the team. In moments when things could have unraveled due to all the noise surrounding the franchise, veterans like Brook Lopez and Jae Crowder also stepped up to provide stability and guidance.

"I think the experience of our team just came through for us tonight," Lillard said.

"We came out sharp. I thought in shootaround, we were sharp. We knew what the task was, and we know what happened the last time we played them, and we wanted to come out in the first of these two games and just kind of set the tone on our home floor."

Cam Payne gets another shot

The Bucks’ signing of Cameron Payne in the offseason was hailed as a potential steal. After all, Payne is highly regarded as one of the better back-up point guards in the NBA, coming off a season where he averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 assists for the Phoenix Suns.

But things didn’t go as planned for Payne in Milwaukee. He struggled to find consistent playing time and appeared to have lost favor with Griffin. But with Griffin out of the picture, Payne was back in the rotation, playing 13 points and tallying five points, two rebounds, and a steal.

"I mean, I just gotta make sure I lock in on my opportunities every time I get a chance and just roll with what comes with it. It is a fresh start, kind of like a new day, a new chapter, so I'm just gonna keep doing me," Payne said.

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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.