NBA GameTime breaks Giannis & Lillard shine to lead Bucks use steady attack to blow by Nets 144-122

NBA GameTime breaks Giannis & Lillard shine to lead Bucks use steady attack to blow by Nets 144-122

On a very injured Brooklyn Nets team right now 144 to 122 now we talk about the Milwaukee Bucks the way that they’ve been playing this season the relationship between Dame and Giannis and the way that they’ve been able to find that chemistry are they the number one team to you in the Eastern

Conference right now no no I would still say that the Celtics have been the more consistent team particularly when you look at them defensively but I do think there’s a lot of room for growth for this Milwaukee team and you talked about the chemistry the Synergy between Dame

And obviously Giannis but it’s also going to be how Chris Middleton comes along you know when he gets back to full speed can he be that Dynamic scorer that they had when they won the championship a few years ago and if that comes in place then okay is the bench do you have

Enough coming off that bench to get through the riggers of the regular season and the postseason but I would say I feel like their ceiling might be higher based on their their roster but the consistency of Boston right now for me gives them the edge Yeah you mentioned a guy like Chris Middleton

Getting back into form 27 points on the night and a very rare 10 assists that he had a double double with the assists what did you see from him tonight well I saw the Chris Middleton from a couple years ago yeah I mean when he was a

Solid number two guy next to Giannis but I I agree with J I don’t think they’re quite on the level of Boston particularly because of Defense I think they lost a little bit uh with that with getting rid of uh Drew holiday uh and you saw the other night when they were

Playing the Knicks they were getting killed by jayen Brunson the pick and roll I mean you know who’s going to guard that hot player I mean obviously Giannis is a great defensive player Brook Lopez leads league and block shots we’re not talking interior we’re talking about on a perimeter is Chris Middleton

Still that tough Defender he was before he got hurt G I mean those are the questions we have to ask who’s Dame G to guard are they going to try to hide him defensively so they have to figure all that out look they’re a top three team

In the east no question but are they on the level with Boston with the depth with the star power with the solid starting five and the defense I’m not so sure as of yet yeah and with a team like the Brooklyn Nets obviously they’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now

A heck of a lot of injuries right now I mean they put up 79 bench points but it’s because a lot of their bench players had to play some heavy heavy minutes but what are your expectations for the Brooklyn Nets the rest of the season well listen if they get healthy I

Think they’re going to have a chance to battle for the play in I I don’t quite look at them as being a solidified uh playoff team but I think they will have a chance they’re a solid defensive team although they didn’t show it tonight in part because they’ve got so many bodies

Out but they can also score the basketball so I think they’re going to have a chance listen they’re the type of team that can beat anybody on any given night whether it be their offense or their defense so they’re going to have a good season I just don’t know if they’re

Going to be a part of missing the postseason I agree with you on that one too and I’m coming to you for the same question obviously Mel Bridges kind of having himself a breakout year only played 12 minutes tonight six points three rebounds one assist but what

Impresses you most I guess about the Brooklyn Nets or where do you feel like they rank when it comes to play in playoff where do you feel like they stand uh just still developing uh you’re talking about putting cam Thomas who by the way should be one of the more

Improved players in that system they got a good team but once they traded Kevin Durant I mean that was it game over and speaking of Mel Bridges by the way they put him in tonight so he can continue his consecutive game streak and that’s kind of controversial but I remember a

Green who holds the streak uh Jr Reed punched him elbowed him in the mouth uh and he played the next game for like a minute because his coach didn’t want him to sit because of a cheap shot yeah so I think tonight they they they put him in

There to keep the streak alive I don’t know is that cheap G you still got to go through the whole process prepare to play and listen he’s earned that right exactly his durability has been pretty impressive especially in the era of load management yeah yeah

Yeah I like I know load management is a word that we hear quite often but definitely Mel brid is so how much of an impact does that make for the Sixers in a game like this against Orlando Magic team that really has been playing good this season oh they’re having a great

Year listen Philly’s still a formidable Team without Joel MB but embiid to me has been the MVP of the first quarter of the Season he has been a dominant Force Tyrese Maxi coming off his worst game of the season in that loss to Miami on Christmas day so you would expect him to

Have a big bounce back but and also magic playing last night in Washington so it could be a situation where the Sixers team could catch them a little bit flat but I would expect that the magic are going to come out with great energy understanding the importance of

Them trying to get back on track yeah Sean with the magic being as young as they are they might have those fresh legs even on the second half of a back toback they won against the Wizards last night 70 points in the paint they forced 21 turnovers what has impressed you most

About this young Orlando Magic team this well you mentioned the young Orlando team I mean this team still has nine picks on the roster that they drafted and uh eight of them were first round picks uh they sort of they grew this team organically a lot like Oklahoma

City and Greg if you look at the standings where’s Orlando where’s Oklahoma City so basically the fruit is starting to Bear but you’re talking about the young Talent you know Paulo banko he could be a an allar this year averaging 25 and seven in December uh

And the thing about it is him and France walkner those are big guys who can dribble and if you got a big guy who can dribble he can create shots that’s all kind of problems right there yeah g for you who steps up with no embiid getting those rebounds especially I know he’s

Averaging just under 12 a game who who steps up in a position like well listen you’re going to have to do it by committee but I would think Tobias Harris is is a guy that it would look to have a big game uh you know he’s really

Had a good year thus far this season and not having embiid means they going to be more opportunities for him but I also think that Tyrese Maxi could have a monster game because he really did have a poor performance on Christmas just really kind of out of sync in terms of

How he’s been this season he’s going to have to step up but they’re going to have to do it by committee yeah and and listen to his point with Vagner and and Ben Carroll those are two guys at 610 that are multi-dimensional they both compete defensively as well and they are

Just growing up before our eyes yeah you talk about Tobias Harris this is a guy that’s averaging 30 points per game over the last two over 50% shooting so he’s definitely stepped up with no jaw and beat in the lineup the Bucks are in the Big Apple going up against the New York

Or the Brooklyn Nets third straight game for Milwaukee in NYC they lost to the Knicks on Christmas Day Giannis a game time decision for tonight with the calf injury but how do you see this matchup shaping up Sean between well first of all Milwaukee has been in New York for

What a month yeah you know they had you know now Brooklyn they have voting rights they’re probably paying taxes probably upset about that right um I think Milwaukee is just really trying to get it together now I mean the entire month they’ve lost what two games uh you’ve got uh Damon Lillard’s averaging

27 points for the month Giannis is Giannis so they’re they’re really starting to get it together that’s a scary thing for the rest of the easn conference if those two really start to Jael this was the big fear when those two players got together that they

Figure it out pretty quickly uh you know Dame really didn’t have as much time with them and all of a sudden they’re winning in December and can that carry over uh look they’re going up against a very young uh developing Brooklyn team and again I think Milwaukee is just

Trying to flex right now just to to show Philadelphia show Boston and show Orlando yes we can include Orlando in that conversation almost that you know we’re still the boss of this conference and we’re going places yeah for you what do what stands out to you most about this Dame Giannis connection that

They’ve been having this season well I think the the chemistry is developing uh for me the bigger issue is they’re just not the team defensively that I think they’re going to have to be in order to compete and and have a chance to win that Eastern Conference and then also

The depth are they going to have enough coming off their bench they’ve dealt with some injuries here there they got a new coach New Philosophy there um still a very good team I would say listen you’d like to have their problems right 22 and8 on the season won eight of their

Last 10 so they’re winning games while they’re trying to figure it out and I think that’s an advantage and this Brooklyn team you know they are young but they are accustomed to winning like they expect to win when they take the floor they can really get hot from three

Uh and I think this will be a challenge because Milwaukee isn’t a great defensive team so I feel like Brooklyn’s going to have a chance to have success in this game if they shoot the ball well from three you talk about a good defensive team the Nets have been that

This season they’re eighth in defense when it comes to opponent field goal percentage opponent three-point shooting percentage do you feel like maybe no Yannis in the lineup this could be a good spot for the Net’s defense also to slow down the Bucks offense a little bit Yeah it gives them a great opportunity

Because they don’t really have that one big guy who can just go Coast to Coast you know all downhill they don’t have to really worry about that um and also Milwaukee is going to have to adjust offensively so all of a sudden you know that you you’ve got Dame of course but

Who’s going to be next is Brook Lopez G to be that guy is Chris Milton gonna be that guy Bobby poris who’s going to be that guy who’s going to get all those touches and is he going to put the ball in the hole but any team with Mel

Bridges on it you know is going to be a good defensive team because they’re going to take their queue from the leader yeah and so yes you’re right about that uh Brooklyn is an intriguing young team they’ve got a a good young nucleus but again you’re playing against

A team that’s pretty tested and if a guy’s out next next man up I know six games on the Slate tonight the next one the Knicks are in the Paris of the Plains or Oklahoma City as a lot of people like to call it they’re taking on

The Thunder the niick starting a three- game Road Trip they are coming off with that Christmas Day win against the Bucks Jaylen Brunson put up 38 points he looked really good on Christmas Day I know there’s been a lot of controver is he a onea guy G what do you think about

Him for this Knicks team listen he’s proven that he’s a onea guy there there’s no question about it and this Knicks team is starting to play better basketball here of late but they’re going to go in and be challenged tonight by this Oklahoma City squad the thunder

Coming off a big time win last night against timber wolves uh where they were really impressive but Jaylen Bronson has proven himself time and time again he’s done it on one of the biggest stages in our game the real question for me is going to be can RJ Barrett Julius

Randall can they continue to elevate randle’s played well here of late Barrett got off to a a hot start but then kind of tapered off a little bit they’re going to need him to become more of an elite impactful player if they want to become true contenders in that

Eastern Conference yeah right now the Nick sitting at number three in the east on the other side we have OKC number three in the west you mentioned the big win last night against the number one team in the west the Timberwolves but the good news for OKC they’re young

Again and they’re 2-0 this season and second half of backto back Sean what are your expectations for OKC not in this game but just moving forward this season they’re the real deal uh you know I always look at the Western Conference standings and just see them just sitting

There and sitting there and sitting there with top three teams in the west um and and that that saids something you know if they were there for a hot minute and they start to falter or go back and forth okay they’re still inconsistent yeah uh but this team has staying power

Uh you know any team with Shay guilders Alexander it’s your star and and by the way G he is a big time Star right now I mean he’s not on the verge he’s there already uh he’s just showing this team how to win games and he gets the ball in

In the paint that’s that’s where he does his damage gets to the line uh he’s doing his job as a superstar and everybody else is revolving around I know okay see you wanted to say something I was just going to say listen that this could be the hardest year for

All NBA first team back court I I the the level of guard play we’ve had this season the depth of it I have not seen seen in many a Moon it doesn’t mean we haven’t had great guards but at this level that’s going to be a real

Challenge I know from one great guard to a lot of other great guards in the league it’s been the def Senda an ally has defeated our Dragon Lane Tower is under attack For your tower has destroyed hey hey Your team destroyed Tower destroy Tower you have been deated team has destroyed a tower eny has Defeated your team has destroyed a tower our Slayer Tower is under attack get your tower has destroyed hey hey Your team has destroyed a tower this is this hey hey hey Evol you en enemy has defeated k

NBA GameTime breaks Giannis & Damian Lillard shine to lead Bucks use steady attack to blow by Nets 144-122