Offensive rebounding killed the Bucks
In a Sunday evening matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Milwaukee Bucks were unable to get the job done, losing 132-119.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 36 points. For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 30 points.
Khris Middleton gave the Bucks a little oomph off the bench, splashing home several threes in the opening frame en route to 11 points. However, he was the really the only Buck bringing forth any type of offense in the first quarter. After a quarter of play, the Gizzlies owned a slight lead, 31-28. They did so thanks to six offensive boards, three of which came from Zach Edey.
The offensive rebounding continued to cause fits for the Bucks in the second quarter. Memphis continued to dominate in that area throughout the second quarter. Once halftime arrived, they lead in that stat, 12 to 3. Jaren Jackson Jr. also began to find a groove from beyond the perimeter, sinking several threes. However, the Bucks were still able to own a two-point advantage at the break at 58-56.
Milwaukee broke open a double-digit lead about midway through the third quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo really began to get his tires going with the scoring, even hitting a 3-pointer from the wing. Memphis forced themselves back into by slicing the deficit to just several points as the third was about to close out, but an AJ Green three just before the horn padded Milwaukee’s lead to 99-93 headed into the fourth.
A 12-4 run to kick off the fourth quarter flipped the table around, giving the Grizzlies the lead shortly into the quarter. They’d maintain that lead and really start to pull away once the two-minute mark rolled around. Scottie Pippen Jr. had two massive steals late that created a Luke Kennard three on one possession followed by a two free throws by Santi Aldama. A corner three by Aldama with 30 seconds left was the dagger, giving the Grizzlies a 132-119 victory.
Stat That Stood Out
Offensive rebounding is what killed the Bucks in this one, but I’ll talk about something else instead and save that for the Extended. In what could be his last possible game as a Milwaukee Buck inside Fiserv Forum for the foreseeable future, Khris Middleton put on a show. He came off the bench and immediately packed a punch. Not only was he providing a spark on the offensive side of the ball, but the defensive side as well. At the conclusion of this one, his stat line read 20 points on 7/10 shooting, including four threes.
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