Bucks end skid, can’t shake bad injury luck
It looked like this game against the Boston Celtics was going to be just what the Milwaukee Bucks needed.
They had Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard playing together again. The offense was crisp and three-point shots were falling. Milwaukee was dominating one of the best teams in the league.
Then Antetokounmpo left in the third quarter after suffering a left leg injury.
The Bucks recovered to earn a 104-91 victory on Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum to end a four-game losing streak, but it seems like Milwaukee can’t shake bad luck.
The Bucks have played only eight games under head coach Doc Rivers with the team’s Big Three in the starting lineup. They weren’t able to finish the last two games together, with Middleton needing emergency dental surgery on Sunday after getting hit in the face, and Antetokounmpo exiting on Tuesday night.
“It’s just been us all year,” Bucks forward Bobby Portis said. “Look at the makeup of our team. We are really resilient in the things we do.
“All season long, guys have been in and out of the lineups. We’ve had to adjust. We’ve been through it all this year. Been through a lot of adversity. Coaching changes. Lineup changes. You name it, we’ve been through it. We’re a battletested team.”
Brook Lopez hit 4 three-pointers in the first quarter, and the Bucks hit 8 of 10 from deep to take a 37-21 advantage.
That barrage seemed to break the tension in the crowd after Milwaukee’s recent stretch of ragged play.
“We all came in just playing simple and keeping it simple,” Lopez said. “Being who we are individually. Doing what got us in the league, what made us all great.
“And doing the same thing as a team. And just playing hard. Just keeping it simple and being ourselves.”
The Bucks reached their largest lead at 47-23 early in the second quarter.
The Bucks led, 73-58, with 3 minutes 37 seconds left in the third quarter when Antetokounmpo dropped to the court in pain. The team said it was a left calf strain.
Antetokounmpo was on his way to another triple-double with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
“Obviously, pulling for him and hoping for the best,” Lopez said. “But all this stuff that we’ve been through the season is just making us stronger. Getting us better. Making us tougher for this final (week) until the playoffs.”
The Celtics got within 78-67 heading into the fourth quarter, and the tension was back in the building.
Portis and Middleton combined to score the first seven points of the fourth quarter.
Every time the Celtics tried the close the gap, the Bucks seemed to get an answer with a big shot. Pat Beverley hit the dagger three-pointer for the final margin with just under a minute left.
“We just played together, we trusted our guys down the stretch,” Lopez said. “Everyone contributed, made big plays.
“Khris was phenomenal, doing what he normally does in the fourth quarter. It was a great team win and we did a great job clinching it.”
Beverley finished with 20 points, making 4 of 8 from long-range after Rivers inserted Beverley in the starting lineup.
“Just energy,” Rivers said. “A veteran. An instigator, that’s what he does.
“And another ball-handler. Because they trap a lot and we felt like he could get into the paint and make plays for people. I thought he did that.”