The Milwaukee Bucks showed what they can achieve when their key players are all healthy and playing together.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds, while Khris Middleton got his second career triple-double as the Bucks dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 118-93 victory on Sunday.
Middleton commented, “With everyone on the court, we see the strength of our team. We have many players who can step up and contribute, attracting attention from opponents.”
This was the first game since February 3rd that the Bucks had Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Damian Lillard, a seven-time All-NBA guard, playing together. It was also the first time since January 31st that they had their preferred starting lineup of Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Malik Beasley.
Middleton had missed 16 games due to a sprained left ankle and sat out another game for injury management. Lillard was also dealing with a sprained left ankle, causing him to miss two games in early February. Antetokounmpo returned to action on Thursday after missing two games due to a left hamstring issue.
“I just feel grateful to have everyone healthy and ready to play,” Antetokounmpo expressed. “Because when we’re not healthy, sometimes we make excuses in our minds, thinking, ‘Okay, when he returns, we’ll do better.’ But now, we’re all here. No more excuses.”
Milwaukee took control of the game in the second half as Oklahoma City lost its lead in the Western Conference standings. The reigning NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, moved ahead of the Thunder by half a game as they didn’t play on Sunday.
Oklahoma City had its lowest score and shooting percentage of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points, his first time below 20 since January 16, and sat out the fourth quarter as the Bucks built a big lead.
“They defended him well and made it tough for him to score,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “Our offense wasn’t sharp enough.” Seven Bucks players scored in double digits, with Bobby Portis leading with 15 points, followed by Lopez and Connaughton with 14 and 11 points respectively.
“Just having everyone playing together makes the game easier,” Antetokounmpo noted. “We don’t need to force anything. Some nights, I’ll shine, some nights Khris or Damian will. Our bench is strong and improving.” Josh Giddey scored 19 points and Jalen Williams added 18 for the Thunder.
The Bucks took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Oklahoma City 18-2 in the first six minutes. Oklahoma City didn’t make their first basket until over halfway through the quarter. Lu Dort left the game after appearing to get hit in the head, but Daigneault assured that he was okay after the game.
