Giannis, Khris Middleton, Bucks Dominate Stephen Curry, Warriors on Christmas

After a disappointing loss on opening night, the Milwaukee Bucks bounced back on Christmas Day with a 138-99 win over the Golden State Warriors. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a double-double, but it was Khris Middleton who starred in Friday's win with 31 points for the Bucks (1-1) at Fiserv Forum.

Milwaukee built a 10-point lead by halftime and kept full control in the second half, going up 30 early in the fourth quarter and holding on for an easy victory. A 20-of-37 effort from three-point range was key in the team's first win of the year as the Warriors simply couldn't keep up on the scoreboard.

Stephen Curry led the way for Golden State (0-2) with 19 points, but he couldn't avoid a brutal start to the season:

Back-to-back losses to begin 2020-21 could have some believing this could be a repeat of last year.            

Notable Performances

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, MIL: 15 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists

Khris Middleton, SG, MIL: 31 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 6-of-8 from 3

Jrue Holiday, PG, MIL: 12 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds

Stephen Curry, PG, GS: 19 points, 6 assists, 2-of-10 from 3

James Wiseman, C, GS: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks

Andrew Wiggins, SF, GS: 12 points, 6 rebounds

Khris Middleton Carries Deep Bucks Lineup

Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't look anything like himself in the first half with six points, but he settled down in the second for another solid effort on the stat sheet and highlights:

However, the Bucks hardly needed the two-time MVP in this one as the rest of the team stepped up when needed.

Khris Middleton was the star with 31 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting as the Bucks pulled away early:

Though sometimes overlooked on this roster, the two-time All-Star was one of the best players on the court in the first game of the season (27 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists) and looked the part again in this one.

The offense was especially impressive as Middleton created his own looks with regularity and was nearly impossible to defend.

The remaining rotation helped out as well with Donte DiVincenzo and Jrue Holiday among those providing scoring depth.

Defensively, it was a strong effort throughout with players especially doing a good job defending the perimeter. The Warriors were held to just 34.3 percent shooting, including 10-of-45 from three-point range.

Though Giannis is the team's biggest star, it's the defense and depth that has truly carried the Bucks over the past couple of seasons, and it was the main story in this game.

James Wiseman Impresses in Second NBA Game

We have seen only two games from James Wiseman, but the talent is obvious from the No. 2 overall draft pick.

The center flashed his potential in a variety of ways Friday, excelling as a scorer and defender:

The performance was enough to impress those watching along:

Golden State also notably used him in a key role in his second game:

There were certainly growing pains as Wiseman dealt with foul trouble early and often struggled to match up with the veteran talent on the other side of the court.

He is still off to a strong start in his career after tallying 19 points and six rebounds in his debut Tuesday.

The rest of the Warriors were much more of a concern in this one, especially Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins combining to shoot 7-of-28 from the field while missing all nine three-point shots.

Curry had 19 points, although he had to work hard for seemingly every shot:

It could mean Golden State relies heavily on Wiseman as the big man continues his rookie season.

What's Next?

It will be a quick holiday for both teams, which will be on the road for games Sunday. The Warriors will take on the Chicago Bulls, while the Bucks will travel to face the New York Knicks.