Bucks Defeat Timberwolves

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on 90’s Night at Fiserv Forum. The evening was meant to be a throwback celebration, but the Bucks once again proved why they are ready to own the future now.

The game was an offensive shootout, with the Bucks prevailing 140-128, but despite the win Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer wants to see more from his team, especially concerning their defensive effort. [

“Our focus, our effort, everything just wasn’t to our standards,” said Budenholzer.

Where the Bucks were lacking defensively, they made up for on the offensive end. The Bucks 140 point total was the fifth time this season Milwaukee has reached a score of 140 or greater, the most in the franchise history.

The Bucks were led by All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, who scored 27 and 28 points respectively. It was a team effort and win for the Bucks, as all starters scored 15 or more points.

Antetokounmpo started the game on fire, scoring the Bucks’ first 11 points on five for five shooting including a three. Giannis had a terrific shooting night overall, going 6-6 from the free throw line and 3-4 on three-point attempts.

“I’m really confident, obviously it looks good when the ball goes in,” said Antetokounmpo about shooting the deep ball. “I’ve been working on it and my teammates and coaches want me to shoot the ball and I want to keep shooting the ball.”  

Antetokounmpo has drastically improved his three-point shooting in the month of February, shooting 40 percent from deep during the month of February and is shooting 24 percent on the season.

Milwaukee trailed at the end of every quarter except the one that matters. The Bucks were able to gain the lead in the fourth quarter after they were able to step up their defensive intensity.

“It doesn’t matter how we’re playing throughout the game, we know that the fourth quarter is winning time,” said Eric Bledsoe who scored 16 points and added seven assists.

The Bucks big men had great night shooting the three, as Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Nikola Mirotic and Ersan Ilysova combined to go 12-20 from deep.

Antetokounmpo and Mirotic seemed to have formed immediate connection just in the two games they have played together.

“Whenever he’s out there he’s a threat, said Antetokounmpo about his newest teammate. “I’m just trying to find the open guy, and most of the time he’s the open guy.”

The trade deadline addition Mirotic was fantastic in the second game for his new team, scoring 17 points in 18 minutes. Mirotic is proving to be an efficient scorer, shooting 3 for 6 from three and 7-11 overall. He also added six rebounds and two blocks.

It was Minnesota’s bench that kept the game close. Derrick Rose led the Timberwolves with 23 points, and Anthony Tolliver added 17 and an emphatic block on a Giannis dunk attempt.

The Timberwolves had to play without star player Karl-Anthony Towns who was sidelined in concussion protocol following a car accident last Thursday. Minnesota was also missing forward Robert Covington and center Gorgui Dieng.

Bucks guard George Hill exited the game with a left adductor sprain during the first half of the game and is expected to be questionable going forward.

The Bucks record is now 45-15 and sit atop the Eastern Conference and NBA standings. They have won 10 of their last 11 games. The 45^th win of the year eclipses the Bucks win total from last season.

Milwaukee now starts a five-game road trip, starting with the Chicago Bulls on Monday, February 25.

Odds and Ends

Perhaps the most exciting moment of the game was Brook Lopez’s boomshakalaka-worthy dunk and stare-down on Dario Saric.

UW-Milwaukee student Kelsey Robinson designed the retro purple hat that was the fan giveaway for 90’s night.

“Having to do that for the Milwaukee Bucks has been a crazy experience,” said Robinson. “I had a lot of control over the final product which was very exciting.”

Rapper Ja-Rule performed at halftime, and it may have been a disaster only slightly below the infamous Fyre Festival. Ja took to Twitter following the game, putting a 30-year curse on the Timberwolves and predicted that franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns would leave.

The voice of NBA Jam Tim Kitzrow was also in attendance, and provided some of rad catchphrases during the Rim Rockers dunk performance.

The Bucks went 21-22 from the free throw line, with the only miss coming from Malcolm Brogdon, who leads the NBA in free throw percentage at 93 percent.

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