Giannis' Dominance Leads Bucks Past Kawhi Leonard-Less Clippers
Giannis Antetokounmpo's 38-point, 16-rebound, nine-assist evening led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 129-124 victory over the host Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Staples Center.
The 24-year-old also made some NBA history along the way:
Six Bucks scored in double digits, with George Hill posting 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting (6-of-7 from three-point range) off the bench.
Milwaukee led for the majority of the game before the Clippers tied it at 83 in the third.
The Bucks responded with a 10-0 run, but the Clips stayed within striking distance. Eventually, L.A. cut the lead to 126-124 following a Landry Shamet three-pointer with 23.2 seconds left in the game.
However, Khris Middleton responded with two free throws to put Milwaukee up four. The Clippers came away empty on the other end, and Antetokounmpo then knocked down one more free throw to seal the win.
L.A. was without Kawhi Leonard, who was out because of load management as the team works its way through a back-to-back set Wednesday and Thursday.
In his absence, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley combined to score 88 of the Clips' points, with Williams and Harrell co-leading the team with 34 apiece.
The 6-2 Bucks have now won four straight. The 5-3 Clippers' two-game win streak is over.
Notable Performances
Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo: 38 points, 16 rebounds, 9 assists
Bucks G George Hill: 24 points
Bucks G Eric Bledsoe: 20 points, 6 rebounds
Clippers G Lou Williams: 34 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds
Clippers F/C Montrezl Harrell: 34 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists
Clippers G Patrick Beverley: 20 points, 10 rebounds
Eric Bledsoe, George Hill the Differences in Bucks' Win
The Bucks needed an offensive spark on a night where the team couldn't get much going.
Middleton shot just 3-of-13, and Brook Lopez hit only four of his 12 shots.
Antetokounmpo stuffed the stat sheet as usual for his near triple-double, but he was also shooting just 6-of-15 at one point.
Luckily for Milwaukee, the Bucks have a multitude of options to turn to if a few key rotation members aren't hitting their shots.
On Wednesday, it was Eric Bledsoe and Hill's turn to help carry the load.
Bledsoe jump-started the Bucks offense with nine quick points off a trio of three-pointers to give Milwaukee an early 17-9 edge. Through seven minutes, Bledsoe had as many points as the Clippers combined.
The point guard eventually finished with 20, but the offense didn't slow down when Hill subbed in.
The backup went to work quickly, scoring 17 first-half points thanks in part to five threes.
Halftime didn't slow the 12-year veteran down either, as he came through during a crucial 10-0 run in the third.
After a pair of Antetokounmpo free throws gave the Bucks and 85-83 edge, Hill knocked down a clutch three.
An Antetokounmpo three then gave Milwaukee an eight-point lead, and Hill followed his teammate once again with a bucket for a 93-83 advantage with 2:11 left in the third quarter.
His performance off the bench was better than the Clippers' reserve efforts combined after the third quarter, per statistics provided by ESPN NBA editor Law Murray:
Hill entered the night having made just nine three-pointers in his first seven games, albeit on an efficient 50 percent clip. Still, his performance was astounding and surprising, leading Clips Nation to say the following:
When you can hit three-pointers after a nasty crossover like this, it's simply your night:
Then the Bledsoe-Hill combo played together down the stretch to put the game away.
After a Shamet three-pointer cut the Bucks' lead to 119-115 with 2:17 left, Bledsoe responded with a bucket to put Milwaukee up six.
Harrell responded with a free throw. Bledsoe then went for another bucket and missed, but Hill was right there for the putback slam:
The Bucks still held on for dear life after another Shamet three, but the Bledsoe-Hill tandem gave Milwaukee just enough breathing room to survive in a game that may just be an NBA Finals preview.
In sum, Milwaukee is an Eastern Conference contender because of its versatile and deep rotation. Perhaps Lopez drains seven threes one night to lead the way, or maybe Middleton lights it up from mid-range.
Anyone on the 11-man rotation can be the hero on a given night, and on Wednesday, it was Hill and Bledsoe's turn.
Couple that with the fact that the Bucks are built around the 2018-19 NBA MVP, and you have a clear contender for the crown.
Clippers' Top Three Posts Valiant Effort in Defeat
As a disclaimer, the Clippers team seen Wednesday obviously isn't the one that should be making a deep playoff run next spring. At that point, Leonard and Paul George will be back to co-lead the offense complemented by a host of capable players, such as Williams, Harrell and Beverley.
But there will be nights during the regular season where one (or both) of Leonard and George are sitting because of load management and/or injuries, and that happened Wednesday.
On those days, the Williams-Harrell-Beverley trio is forced to lead the way.
All three did well on Wednesday. Harrell was an efficient 13-of-25 from the field for his 34 points. Williams dropped a game-high 34 (albeit on a 9-of-27 clip) and paced the Clips with 11 assists. And Beverley, who's best known for his defense, got in on the action with 20 points of his own.
The three shined all night and added to the team's highlight reel:
But the problem is the Clips simply don't have the depth to hang with the league's best if Leonard and George are out.
Any Clipper not named Beverley, Williams or Harrell went just 14-of-32 from the field for 36 points. Those numbers would have been uglier if not for a late flurry of Shamet threes in the fourth quarter.
The bench went just 7-of-25 for 20 points. Meanwhile, six Bucks scored in double digits.
The L.A. offense didn't always click Wednesday even with Williams and Harrell on the floor, leading Jovan Buha of The Athletic to say the following:
And Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times noted the team's lack of production outside L.A.'s top three scorers prior to Shamet's outburst:
Still, it's hard to come away with any long-term takes for the Clips on nights where Leonard and George don't play. When they're back, the Clippers should have a stout top six in the rotation, with Williams and Harrell pacing a second unit to balance things out.
What's Next?
The Bucks will continue a four-game Western Conference road swing against the Utah Jazz on Friday at 9 p.m. ET. The Clips will stay home to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET.
