MILWAUKEE – Coming into an East-West match-up featuring the hosting Milwaukee Bucks and visiting Houston Rockets, all eyes focused on the teams’ superstars and future Hall of Famers in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant.
While each produced in the game, it was the role players for Milwaukee that made the difference in the first half at Fiserv Forum on Nov. 9, while Giannis came alive in the second.
But rebounding was the story of the matinee, as the Rockets dominated both the defensive and offensive boards. A 23-rebound advantage kept Houston within striking distance throughout the contest. Then, in the waning moments, Houston stole back the lead from Milwaukee off clutch makes from Durant and supporting players. Houston didn’t relinquish the late lead once it got it, stealing a win on the road, 122-115.
Bucks’ head coach Doc Rivers said it felt like a game Milwaukee should have run away with early, but miscues and a lack of consistency kept Houston in the game.
“I thought we were bad on both ends of the floor,” Rivers said. “They’re a good team, but it was a game that was very winnable for us. I thought we didn’t execute offensively at all… the ball stopped moving. Defensively, we gambled, [and] we did things that we just cannot do.”
He added, “I was frustrated when we were up 10… should have been 20. And we had a chance to put them away, and we didn’t, because of our self-inflicted wounds.”
First half was all Bucks, despite Rockets' enormous rebounding advantage
Durant was efficient throughout the game and hot to start. He scored seven of Houston’s first nine points, as the Rockets controlled the early going.
But the Bucks’ Myles Turner, fresh of his best game in a Milwaukee jersey against the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 7, was also firing on all cylinders in the first. He went toe-for-toe with KD, scoring seven of Milwaukee’s first 10 points before the seven-minute mark of the first quarter. Giannis didn’t score his first points of the game until just over six minutes remaining in the period. Milwaukee held a two-point lead going into the second.
The Bucks came alive in that period, especially Antetokounmpo, who scored just two in the first quarter. Milwaukee’s star logged the first five points of the second on an and-one finish, then, moments later, a steal by Bucks’ guard Cole Anthony found Antetokounmpo alone under the basket to take a seven-point, 35-28, advantage. Anthony then scored four-straight for the Bucks on a pair of aggressive drives to the basket; just two days after he went 1-5 from three-point territory against the Bulls.
Antetokounmpo, Durant shine in second half
The story of the second half was both teams’ primetime players coming alive. Antetokounmpo and Durant added to their ledgers in a big way. KD scored 23 in the half and finished with 31 points on the afternoon, while Giannis scored 37 by game’s end, hauling in eight rebounds and three assists. He scored 14 in the third period alone.
Milwaukee controlled most of the fourth quarter until the final moments, when a Houston push saw the Rockets take back the lead for the first time since the opening period with a two-point lead at 111-113. Giannis missed two free throws down 113-115 with about 1:30 remaining, and Houston took advantage with a two-point score to take a four-point lead with 1:09 left. They never looked back.
“We just struggled overall tonight… 14-24 [on free throws],” noted Rivers. “I don’t know what the answer is. We practice them, we work on them. We’re a better free-throw shooting team… I don’t know what you want me to do other than: let’s make free throws.”
Houston prevailed with a seven-point advantage by the final buzzer, completing the come-from-behind win. The victory was due in large part to the Rockets outrebounding the Bucks 50 to 27 (including 20 offensive rebounds for Houston to just seven for Milwaukee).
“They’re amazing on the offensive glass. First half, the difference in the game was we turned them over. In the second half we turned it over, and they kept getting offensive rebounds,” said Rivers. “Tonight, we just didn’t execute… five assists in the second half, 20 in the first. I don’t think much more needs to be said.”
Bucks' top performers in loss against Rockets
After Giannis, Turner finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Ryan Rollins was the team's second-highest scorer with 19, and Anthony logged 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting, along with six assists and five rebounds.
The Bucks will play back-to-back games as they travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks on Nov. 10.
