ESPN reacts to Bucks DESTROY Thunder 118-93; Giannis 30 Pts, 18 Reb; Middleton triple-double

ESPN reacts to Bucks DESTROY Thunder 118-93; Giannis 30 Pts, 18 Reb; Middleton triple-double

They weren’t exactly matched up with one another you are tracking it when there is a 0.1 difference in the scoring race and obviously Lucas sitting at number one I got to do the math now but I just feels to me like I think Giannis is now overtaken that second spot and so

There’s a lot to it when you have the number one team in the Western Conference coming in to fiser form and there’s just 12 games left in the season it does matter a little bit more and so there were so many different things on display I think the leadership of the

Stars seeing what Chris Middleton brought the defense like you alluded to but there’s no question today has been an awesome basketball day with my Marquette Golden Eagles getting her done and now Milwaukee Bucks just continuing that momentum I had you in there quicker to make the Marquette reference but you

Never disappoint me partner that’s only six matches we’ll see how many more we can get in here all right we got four segments so stick around here on bucks live but let’s talk about the defense it was the storyline of this game Star Menard’s big money moment that third

Quarter they held the Thunder to 17 points that’s their fewest they’ve scored in a third quarter this season and just look at the activity look at how much it seems to matter to all Five Guys on the look at D moving his feet scrapping getting his hand there guys

Coming to back him up guys being in the right spots and then all of a sudden offense is Flawless it’s simple it Skies out on the break and so you just got to love the fact that it started with defense but it was also a little bit of

Offense when you hold OKC in the third quarter to just 17 points you can you can many times be the beneficiary of then scoring 34 points like they were look even on airballs you’re in the right spot making the unselfish right play bees is ready to shoot that thing

In the corner look at how it’s popping all the way around and paying it off on the other end and there is no question look when it starts out with look at the energy keeping the ball in bounds thrown ahead and guess what happens you get the

Call you get the an one and the third quarter really was the separation that happened because it was the guys flying around on defense it was a close game and all of a sudden turning it into who wants it more and in the third quarter

You could really sense it so I do think when you look at it from a a number one seat and a number two seat all because it’s NCA March Madness time we’ll call it that even though they’re number one in the west the bucks on number two in

The East I think you just you could really feel what’s the difference between these two teams there was a maturity there was a desperation yes it’s at home from Milwaukee yes Chris Middleton is back and the big three are back together playing so there’s a lot of things going for Milwaukee but

There’s no doubt the Bucks have played some young teams in the west that they’ve said that people have said can the Bucks keep up with those kind of teams do they have the energy and there’s no question they answered that tonight I think with the way that they

Played they were the team that was more desperate that played with that we’ve got to get this win and we’ve got a point to make even though you don’t win anything for winning this game but it’s a barometer game and I think you got a good feel as far as the barometer goes

Kind of where this team is at right now yeah the buck out scored the Thunder 70 to 46 in the second half of this game and just some perspective for you Steve because the thunder came in as the only team in the NBA that were top five in field goal percentage three-point

Percentage and free throw percentage tonight 37% field goal 23% from three 77% from the free throw line that’s all well below their SE season averages you know I think it just felt to me as you watched the game that it was very intentional when you see Chad holgren

Struggle and go one for 10 from the field and go 0 for five from three you know that he is a guy who is being featured and he’s very intentionally being taken away when you see Shay gilis Alexander who’s the second leading score in this league and we talked about in

The pregame this is the guy that’s right behind Luca Don just has the second leading score and he comes out and he was very quiet and the truth is it’s all very intentional and so to your point too about Doc Rivers since he’s taken over the defense has gotten better and

So I think these are the kind of games where you go some games you go ah they did that to that team it doesn’t really cter that team they’re not that good this is the number one team in the west that’s been going around scoring a bunch

Of points playing some big- time defense and the numbers you just read off showing they’ve been a very consistent team and the Bucs took them out of it it’s one game there’s a lot more to play for both teams but there’s no doubt this is a performance that you wanted to see

From this Bucks team it’s one game and it’s a big game because Chris Middleton was back in this lineup and boy did he have an entrance his second career triple double he’s standing by with Melanie Ricks Chris congratulations on the win first we got to talk about this triple double

Your second in your career the first one since 2018 how did it feel that was cool I’m just glad I got one more possession and get one more chance at it uh thankfully I knocked down shot but you know um it’s my teammates you know they

Finished a lot of tough shots for me um The Bigs were great down low um stealing their guy getting in once and just being big and dominant down there well and speaking of what a dominant game from you and your teammates that ball was really moving on a stream tonight what

Did this win say about your team moving forward just just a good win against a good team um you know they’re trying to play their best basketball we’re trying to do the same um so this is a great win we just got to keep building on this for

The rest of the season thanks Chris congrats thanks Chris Middleton won of seven bucks in double figures his second career triple double A Havish Havish in roer numbers that work last one coming back on January of 2018 well it’s beautiful basketball especially because he’s out there doing it with

With Giannis he’s being very much himself you can tell he’s comfortable and that’s the one thing I really sense is that look at some of the that pass was just beautiful the timing that he has in the pick and roll he’s willing to take chances will he have some turnovers

Yes because he’s willing to take chances and throw it up to Bobby poris and throw it up to Janis sakumo and he’s willing to show those guys I want your screen I want you to roll hard have faith that I’m going to throw that thing to you and

I so I love the way that he plays with his eyes always up always looking for a teammate can he always give a little Shimmy Shake and knock down a beautiful jumper yes he can but when you look at the last three games that he’s had 22

Points in both of the previous two games and now tonight for to have a triple double it just seems to me that he’s very comfortable out there in the offense so I think as much has been said about making sure Giannis and Dame can get together and run that pick and roll

And be as as good of a pick and roll two-man game as there possibly can be in the NBA I think the other side of it is Chris Middleton looks very comfortable with those two out there on the floor together and so there’s no question it’s

Going to continue to be an evolution but Chris Middleton showing some really good signs yeah just the seventh game this season that Chris has played under Dock and just the third time this year that the Bucks have had all of their preferred starters under Doc Rivers and

We’re starting to see what those results look like as we inch toward the postseason and Steve it’s amazing that we talk about Giannis at the end of this segment because he goes for 30 points 19 rebounds that’s a season high for Giannis another impressive performance

On both ends of the floor we’ll call him well rested because he rested not last game but the two games previous to that he came out had 21 points against Brooklyn and we said out well kind of a quiet game for him well he was saving

His energy to get all these rebounds 19 of them if you’re keeping track but some of the dunk C look at the face he makes just the intensity he’s playing with it does matter and so seeing the connection with Chris Middleton seeing the swag that he’s playing with seeing the force

That he was to be reckoned with when you look at the end of the night and you see how dominant this team was in the paint 58- 32 out scoring Oklahoma City by 26 points in the paint it just makes you think yes this is the number one team in

The west yes the Bucks are the number two team in the East right now for whatever that’s worth everyone’s keeping track of those kind of things and what the seating is going to look like OKC doesn’t look like a team that could ever get in the way I realize they’re in the

Western Conference they’re they don’t seem like the type of team that could get in the way of a Milwaukee Bucks type team and by that I mean this Bucks team is veteran they’ve got Brook Lopez they’ve got Giannis they’ve got Dame they’ve got Chris they’ve got Jay

Crowder they’ve got these guys that is good as OKC has been and you got to tip your cap for God’s sakes the record speaks for it in the West Conference it just didn’t look to me tonight and yes it’s one game in in a long NBA season

That that OKC team at number one in the west was nearly as good as this Bucks team number two in the East some of its maturity no question they’re Chay gilis is 25 Chad homr is in his rookie year for um all intents and purposes and so I

Think it was just it was good to see who the mature team was who had the dominant MVP Allstars and in a game where it was an MVP match was fun to see Giannis I felt like to have the much more dominant performance yeah it just felt like Bully

Ball from the buck as a veteran team against the Thunder 57 rebounds is a season high for Milwaukee of course Giannis with a season High 19 and a season High eight offensive rebounds in for I have many ways to make you talk an enemy has been defeated screen you have defeated an

Enemy you have been defeated get over here cruelty and despair obliteration you have been Defeated enemy Ultimate Enemy double kill an enemy has been defeated your tower has been destroyed enemy bloodb G enemy double Kill enemy Legend legendary for me an ally has been defeated our base is under attack you have defeated an enemy an enemy has been defeated my BL is tingling Show the bull only talks with his hoves First Blood who do I have to smash for a pair of sweet kid an enemy has been defe defeated it’s crushing time an enemy has been defeated you have been defeated your team has destroyed a tower an enemy has been defeated Just one mys SL down ultimate double kill ultimate Bast the Lo blood onslaught the bull only talks with his hoves blood shut down out of our is that it

ESPN reacts to Bucks DESTROY Thunder 118-93; Giannis 30 Pts, 18 Reb; Middleton triple-double