The Bucks prevail in the matchup of unicorns
In Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama’s first matchup at Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee Bucks prevailed over the San Antonio Spurs, 121-105.
The entertainment was fueled by circle shots in the first quarter. First, Victor Wembanyama hit a running one-legged 3-point shot. He then followed it up with an outrageous adjustment on a driving layup down the baseline on a contested block by Giannis. The two of them combined for 18 points in the opening frame, with Wemby posting seven while Giannis etched out 11. After a quarter of play, Milwaukee owned a 31-27 lead.
The Bucks began to open things up a bit throughout the second quarter. This was when they gathered their first double-digit lead, thanks in large part to the strong efforts from Brook Lopez and AJ Green from beyond the perimeter. They connected on not one, not two, not three, but four 3-pointers in the half, the last which came right before the buzzer from Lopez. It also gave Milwaukee a commanding 65-46 advantage at intermission.
It wouldn’t take long for the Bucks’ lead to be sliced down to single digits to kick off the third. Led by a flurry of threes from Chris Paul, San Antonio scratched and clawed their way back into the action. Milwaukee prevented the momentum from totally slipping their way, holding them off and regaining a double-digit lead headed into the final quarter of regulation. Going into the fourth, they built a 91-78 lead.
From that point on, there was nothing the Spurs could do to challenge things. Milwaukee maintained their double-digit lead and ultimately prevailed with a 121-105 victory.
Stat That Stood Out
Milwaukee’s 3-point shooting really provided them comfortable padding in this one. The tone was set at the forefront from Brook Lopez and then AJ Green shortly after. Combined, they went 9/18 from beyond the arc. As a team, the Bucks shot 45.2% from three. On the contrary, it was a quiet night for Victor Wembanyama in the 3-point department, as he went a cold 2/6 in this one. Overall, he went 4/10 from the floor. That lack of efficiency really helped tilt things in Milwaukee’s direction.
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