Paul George's Red-Hot Shooting Leads Thunder to Win vs. Giannis, Bucks

The Oklahoma City Thunder extended their winning streak to five games with a 118-112 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Milwaukee saw its own six-game winning streak come to an end in its first contest of a five-game road trip.

Paul George took matters into his own hands with a dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo and a massive three-pointer in the final minute to push a three-point lead to six and hold off a late Bucks' run. He led the effort with 36 points and 13 rebounds behind a sizzling 8-of-12 from deep, while Russell Westbrook added a triple-double of 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

On the other side, Antetokounmpo shot just 8-of-22 from the field with four turnovers on his way to 27 points and 18 rebounds and struggled to establish a consistent offensive rhythm against the Thunder's swarming defense.

PG DUNK REPLAY

Minimizing Giannis Latest Reminder Thunder's D Is Its Biggest Strength

What was advertised as a showdown of star power with Antetokounmpo against George and Westbrook quickly turned into a defensive clinic for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City held Antetokounmpo to three points in the first half on 0-of-6 shooting from the field, while the Bucks scored just 42 by intermission. Jerami Grant was tasked as the primary defender on the superstar for extended stretches, but the Thunder shaded multiple players his way on almost every half-court set.

George sagged toward the paint, Dennis Schroder swiped at the ball when he put it on the floor and Grant stood strong and drew an offensive foul in the paint. What's more, the Thunder sent immediate double-teams his way whenever the Bucks created a mismatch with a screen.

It was more of the same for a Thunder team that entered play third in the league in defensive rating, per NBA.com.

While the number is impressive on its own, it's even more noteworthy since OKC is playing without Andre Roberson. The wing still hasn't returned from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in January 2018, which takes away a 2016-17 All-Defensive second-team selection who is known for his effort on that side of the court from an already strong group. 

Head coach Billy Donovan said there isn't a timetable for Roberson's return, per Royce Young of ESPN.com, but the defense figures to get even better when it happens.

The Thunder already have three-time All-Defensive selection George on the wing, Westbrook creating energy and hounding ball-handlers with his athleticism on the outside, and Steven Adams down low.

The entire team's ability to slow stars, just like it did against Antetokounmpo for stretches, will be critical in the Western Conference playoffs when it could face some combination of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and LeBron James.

That is a who's who list of the best players in the league, so the same effort that was present while keeping MVP contender Antetokounmpo in relative check will need to be in place come April and May.

Role Players Will Determine Bucks' Championship Ceiling

The narrative around a team leading the Eastern Conference in late January is usually championship-or-bust, but the one with the Bucks is somewhat different since they haven't won a playoff series since 2001.

They will also have to deal with a Toronto Raptors team that has been a mainstay in the Eastern Conference playoffs and added Kawhi Leonard; a Philadelphia 76ers squad with a Big Three of Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid; and a Boston Celtics team that reached last year's Eastern Conference Finals while Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward were injured.

It is fair to wonder about Milwaukee's ultimate ceiling, especially since the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors will likely be waiting in the NBA Finals should it emerge from a daunting Eastern Conference path.

Defenses will be even more focused on Antetokounmpo in the playoffs, much like the Thunder were in Sunday's contest. That will put the onus on the secondary playmakers, and they largely came through even in defeat.

Khris Middleton tallied 22 points, Brook Lopez added 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting from deep and Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 18 points. Lopez is hitting a career-best 38.3 percent from deep and even mixed in a stepback three in Sunday's contest.

That is typically a good enough effort to win if Antetokounmpo doesn't have to work as hard as he did for his scoring, but a red-hot George and a lackluster showing from the Bucks' bench proved critical. Milwaukee's bench scored just 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting, although it was more of an anomaly than anything considering it is third in the league in net rating, per NBA.com.

This was just one loss following a hot streak, and Bucks fans shouldn't worry too much about the result in the course of a long season. The most telling thing was the defensive focus on Antetokounmpo as a sign of things to come as the playoffs approach.

Those role players will be under the spotlight as the campaign progresses.

What's Next?

Both teams are on the road Tuesday, with the Bucks playing the Detroit Pistons and the Thunder facing the Orlando Magic.