GAME REPORT

THREE TAKEAWAYS

1. The Bucks attacked the paint early and often, finishing with 48 points. Just as important, Milwaukee's continued onslaught in the paint paid off with 31 free-throw attempts of which the Bucks made 27.

2. Often in the first quarter the Bucks moved the ball around to set up a good shot, which player after player refused to take in favor of making an extra pass for a better look for a teammate. That helped create the 42-point outburst in which Milwaukee had 11 assists on 14 field goals. That trend continued as the Bucks finished with 28 assists on 40 buckets.

3. Rookie Thon Maker played meaningful minutes for the second successive game, entering with 3:32 left in the third quarter. He drew a loud ovation and went on to score two points and block a corner three-point attempt by Goran Dragic before subbing out at the end of the period.

UP NEXT

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (20-18) vs. Atlanta Hawks (22-17). When: 2 p.m. Sunday. Where: Philips Arena.

About the Hawks: Atlanta’s seven-game winning streak ended Friday night with a 103-101 loss to Boston, in the return of Al Horford to his former home court. Horford appeared in 578 games for Atlanta from 2007-’16. The Hawks recently traded Kyle Korver to Cleveland, a move scrutinized around the league. Forward Paul Millsap then was pulled off the trade market by the Hawks, who rank fourth in the East. Dennis Schroder has taken over as Atlanta’s starting point guard and is averaging 17.8 points and 6.3 assists. The Hawks lead the season series, 2-0. In the last meeting, Atlanta rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit to win, 114-110, on Dec. 9 in Milwaukee.