Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks stood little chance against the league’s hottest team, the Atlanta Hawks, handing them their ninth straight victory in a matinee blowout at State Farm Arena. Oft-Buck killer (this season, at least) CJ McCollum had a game-high 30 points for the home team, Wisconsin native Jalen Johnson had a 23-point triple-double, while the visitors’ Ryan Rollins poured in 22.
Game Recap
An early 10-2 Hawks run didn’t take the Bucks out of the game early, as
Rollins uncorked back-to-back threes amid an 8-0 Bucks run, bringing them within one just past the quarter’s midpoint. Soon after, a Bobby Portis triple made that 11-0, gave Milwaukee their first lead, and forced an Atlanta timeout. Rollins surpassed 10 points as the two sides traded baskets the remainder of the period, and with 12 minutes gone by, the Hawks held serve 31-30.
McCollum got hot late in the first and continued that over the break, though Bobby Portis kept the Bucks connected as the second began. Milwaukee then went cold despite some second-chance opportunities, while Atlanta made eight of their first 11, culminating in a 9-2 run. Rollins picked up where he left off upon re-entering, but another frequent thorn in Milwaukee’s side, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, fended off any true threats as Atlanta stretched their advantage to as much as 11. While a late Kyle Kuzma burst briefly cut that to five in the final two minutes, the Hawks went into half ahead 60-52.
Death, taxes, and the Bucks struggling to begin third quarters. Six turnovers in the first four minutes (four in the first two!) somehow didn’t result in more than an 11-point deficit, despite getting within five at one point, the Hawks grew that to 15. Try as they might, Milwaukee couldn’t get within 12 as the quarter ticked away, and Atlanta went into the fourth in front 95-78, leading by as much as 20 at one point. The Bucks had nine turnovers in the third.
Atlanta didn’t allow Milwaukee within 16 in the opening stages of the final frame. Kevin Porter Jr. did have eight in the first five minutes, but 13 was as close as the Bucks got since they still couldn’t stop anything defensively as the Hawks went on a 12-1 run to put it away. Thanasis Antetokounmpo was heading to the scorers’ table as McCollum hit his seventh three, making it a 22-point game. Ajax had a cool garbage-time dunk as Atlanta made it as bad as 26.
Stat That Stood Out
While the offensive rebounding gap was 13-2 at one point (the second-chance opportunities I mentioned above were their only two offensive boards in the game through garbage time), Milwaukee’s 23 turnovers were a season-high. The 30-14 points-off-turnovers disparity is too glaring to ignore.
