There’s no ghost of Christmas past
Dominant second half offsets three-pointers
It happened again. The Philadelphia 76ers hit a whole bunch of three-pointers and finished the night over 40% from beyond the arc. Just like Christmas.
However, that’s pretty much the only thing that remained the same from the last time the Milwaukee Bucks faced off against their Eastern Conference rivals. And Philadelphia’s
three-point shooting? It didn’t matter.
This time, it was the Bucks that ran away with a win, dominating the second half on the way to a 112-101 victory on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum in front of a sellout crowd and a national television audience on TNT. The victory improved the Bucks’ league-best record to 44-7 while dropping the 76ers to a four
game losing streak and a 9-19 road record.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, limited to his worst field-goal percentage by the Sixers in the first meeting, was a man possessed on Thursday. He attacked the rim early and often, collecting 36 points, 20 rebounds and six assists on 13 of 25 shooting. Thursday’s performance marked the fifth game in a row Antetokounmpo has put up at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, something that hasn’t happened since Wilt Chamberlain accomplished that feat in 1965.
The last field goal of Antetokounmpo’s night was the loudest as he reached back with his right hand to collect the ball in mid-air and throw down an emphatic dunk.
Khris Middleton came alive out of halftime, scoring 16 of his 20 points out of the intermission. He made 6 of his first 7 shots of the second half, finishing 8 of 17 from the field.
The 76ers led by one about 21⁄2 minutes into the third quarter, buoyed by their strong shooting and the Bucks’ inability to knock down three-pointers of their own. But at that point, everything changed.
Wesley Matthews stroked a catchand-shoot three. Middleton followed with one of his own. Matthews then stripped Al Horford on the block and soon after Antetokounmpo hit a pair of free throws to give the Bucks an 8-0 run.
Middleton then splashed another three-pointer, Eric Bledsoe stripped Joel Embiid and made 1 of 2 free throws at the other end and then Matthews used a hesitation move to burst by Embiid for a layup.
Just like that, the Bucks had put together a 14-0 run in 21⁄2 minutes, giving them a lead they would never relinquish.
The 76ers got within five with just over eight minutes left in the game, but Middleton responded to an Embiid three with an immediate four-point play. Philadelphia then counterpunched to get within six, but Antetokounmpo – who started 0 for 5 on threepointers and looked sheepish when left alone beyond the arc for a while – confidently swished a triple. Brook Lopez then enveloped Shake Milton for a steal and it led to a long jumper from Bledsoe and the Bucks were back in control for good.
Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 25 points while making 5 of 6 three-pointers while Embiid struggled all night, collecting 19 points and 11 rebounds but going 6 of 26 from the floor and 3 of 10 on threes the Bucks often dared him to shoot.
Philadelphia shot 42.2% from threepoint range (19 of 45) but couldn’t get anything else easily. Milwaukee’s long, active defense held the 76ers to just 33.3% on two-point shots, negating any success Philadelphia had from deep.