The Bucks fell flat in their season finale, suffering a double-digit blowout against the Philadelphia 76ers. Seeking to play spoiler against a Sixers team fighting for the six seed, the Bucks started strong in the first half. However, their high-volume shooting betrayed them in the second half as Tyrese Maxey (21 points) caught fire from deep. Cormac Ryan put up his first career double-double, scoring 22 points with ten rebounds, while AJ Green broke Ray Allen’s franchise record for most three-pointers
in a season.
Game Recap
The Bucks got the action started with a Jericho Sims dunk, but the two teams went back and forth in the game’s early moments. Philadelphia began to press its advantage after the game’s first TV timeout with a variety of VJ Edgecombe floaters and Paul George triples, but the Bucks remained within striking distance. Paul George’s mid-range pull-up pushed Philadelphia to a seven-point lead, but Milwaukee closed the gap through transition buckets. Nagging finger injuries and strong defense from Cormac Ryan limited Tyrese Maxey’s offensive impact, and AJ Green’s third three-pointer of the quarter gave Milwaukee a one-point lead going into the three-minute mark. With that, Green made his 230th three of the season, a franchise record. However, Philadelphia steadily clawed its lead back, and ended the first quarter up 29-26 after an Andre Drummond corner three (editor’s note: wait, what?).
Neither team fully found its offensive stride to begin the second. The Sixers continued to push their advantage, triggering a Bucks timeout after Quentin Grimes’ transition layup pushed their lead to seven. Milwaukee’s defense couldn’t stop Edgecombe from wheeling and dealing, and the rookie easily passed around Milwaukee’s zone defense. His offensive production was the difference-maker for the Sixers, especially with Maxey’s inconsistency and George sitting out key minutes. Edgecombe would end with 11 assists. However, Milwaukee had its special moments, including a monstrous Ryan jam off a missed free throw. Green continued his torrid shooting, and Ryan’s physical and-one pushed the Bucks up by three. Ryan connected again for a three-pointer, exploiting Philly’s lax perimeter defense to end the half up 62-58.
The Sixers burst out of halftime with an 8-2 run thanks to six quick points from Maxey, reclaiming the lead after Oubre picked off Ousmane Dieng’s pass and strolled to a fastbreak layup. The high-accuracy, high-volume shooting that drove Milwaukee to success in the first half failed them in the second. They started the quarter 0/8 from deep, and they never truly woke up from that slow start. A tough Edgecombe triple extended the Sixers’ lead to double digits, and Maxey’s long set off the Philadelphia crowd. Philly kept rolling, and Maxey’s 16 third-quarter points helped Philly go on a 16-3 run to widen their lead to 15. They passed circles around Milwaukee, and even when the Bucks found their footing on offense, defeat looked on the horizon. The huge Sixers run put them up 96-78 by the end of the third.
Milwaukee’s poor shooting bled into the fourth quarter, and their offensive possessions were punctuated with silly mistakes and turnovers. Justin Edwards and Edgecombe caught fire as the Sixers continued to cut holes in Milwaukee’s defense, and the Bucks’ lack of a true floor general was exposed on offense. The bleeding was quick; as the hodgepodge lineup of Milwaukee rotation players, two-way guys, and Antetokounmpos continued to grind it out on the court, Giannis was still on the baseline rooting the team on. Despite his claps and cheers, he was a lonely figure on the Milwaukee bench. For a historic, legendary career in Milwaukee, his potentially last game with the team was more melancholy and wistful than triumphant. Aside from an Andre Jackson Jr. and-one and Alex Antetokounmpo’s pair of three-pointers, the Bucks ended their season with a whimper.
Stat That Stood Out
The Bucks shot 6.7% (1/15) from three during the third quarter. That poor shooting, paired with a remarkably porous defense, helped the Sixers storm to a huge second-half run.
