Giannis Leads Bucks Past Draymond Green, Warriors in 107-98 Win

There was a time when a showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors could be seen as a potential NBA Finals preview, but this season it is just a mismatch.

Milwaukee defeated the five-time reigning Western Conference champions 107-98 on Wednesday at Chase Center in the first of two matchups between the teams in 2019-20. The Bucks are 6-1 in their last seven games and 33-6 overall after Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the way in the latest effort.

As for the Warriors, they have lost six games in a row and are an ugly 9-30 on the campaign.

Notable Player Stats

• MIL F Giannis Antetokounmpo: 30 points, 12 rebounds and four assists
• MIL F Khris Middleton: 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists
• GSW G Alec Burks: 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds
• GSW C Willie Cauley-Stein: 10 points and 11 rebounds
• GSW F Draymond Green: five points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals

Bucks Show They Can Win Games in Multiple Ways

There may not be a better offense in the league than Milwaukee's.

After all, it is nearly impossible not to have a dangerous offense with Antetokounmpo on the floor considering he is a matchup nightmare who can blow past defenders off the bounce, simply shoot over them with his length, dunk on anyone in the league and even hit from three-point range at times.

Opponents cannot stop him in one-on-one scenarios, and the Bucks have surrounded him with shooters such as Middleton to take advantage of the openings.

However, that offense was broken for extended stretches of Wednesday's game. The visitors shot a mere 4-of-23 (17.4 percent) from deep in the first half as an undermanned Warriors team playing without D'Angelo Russell, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson remained within striking distance by contesting shots and playing with effort.

Many teams with a dominant offense would lose on a night when it struggled on that end of the floor, but the Bucks are also No. 1 in the league in defensive rating, per NBA.com.

That defense helped them maintain control by holding Golden State to 39 points in the first half and forcing 18 turnovers throughout the contest. The early defensive effort provided a cushion until Milwaukee's offense finally woke up in the third quarter and Antetokounmpo spearheaded the effort in the fourth.

There will be games in the playoffs when shots aren't falling, teams are swarming to Antetokounmpo to cut off his penetration and the Bucks are forced to win in other ways outside of their explosive offense.

While a win over a shell of what the Warriors were supposed to be this season is not exactly the equivalent of beating the Philadelphia 76ers in May, it also underscores Milwaukee's overall versatility and strength as a team. It can win however a given game calls for it, which will be key when the stakes are higher in the postseason.

What's Next?

Both teams are on the road Friday. The Bucks face the Sacramento Kings, while the Warriors square off with the Los Angeles Clippers.