The Milwaukee Bucks tried to build on their win over Indiana, but the Houston Rockets proved too much, winning 132-100 in a blowout. Tyler Herro led the Bucks with 23 points in 27 minutes, while Fred VanVleet led a balanced Houston attack with 24 points.
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Game Recap
The Bucks started off looking solid, matching the Rockets shot for shot and keeping them from putting together a run; still, the game was choppy. Late in the first quarter, though, the Milwaukee finally found a rhythm, piecing together a neat little 7-0 run to take its first lead; Tyler Herro hit a finger roll lay-up and a sweet mid-range floater, then AJ Green nailed a three to give the home side a 19-16 edge. The play of the first quarter, though, belonged to Nate Ament, who rose and blocked Jabari Smith Jr. on a baseline jumper. This kind of defensive effort kept the Bucks in the game after they went cold to close out the quarter, finding themselves down 23-21 to end the first.
Unfortunately, that defense would fade a little as the second quarter began, as the Rockets opened on an 8-0 run, extending their lead to double digits. However, as Milwaukee's starters cycled back in, the defense began to shore up… the only issue was that the offense did not! AJ Green hit a three around the 10-minute mark, and then the Bucks went four minutes
without scoring, with Tyler Herro breaking the seal at the six-minute mark. Oof. With two minutes to go, the Bucks had shot just 4/21 in the quarter as the Rockets built a 22-point lead. Offensively, it was very unremarkable: the Bucks couldn't get comfortable or find their stroke all quarter as the Rockets' defence tightened. The lone silver lining was the strong team defence the Bucks played, which (somewhat) matched Houston's pressure and energy.
The third quarter saw the Bucks get out to a faster start as they whittled away the deficit ever so slightly. Ryan Rollins logged four quick assists and a bucket as he pushed the pace and found the open man. Look, Milwaukee actually scored the ball decently in this perioid; the issue was they couldn't get any stops, which allowed Houston to still win the quarter 38-34. In any event, the home side's energy was paying off. Amen Thompson would end the quarter leading the Rockets in scoring with an impressive 23 points, showing off his versatility as scorer and looking much more comfortable with VanVleet back from injury. H-Town led bigly after three: 95-69.
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Down 26, the Bucks would start the fourth with Brayden Burries, AJ Green, Ousmane Dieng, Nate Ament, and Jericho Sims. The Rockets, meanwhile, kept many of their starters in. For what it's worth, Milwaukee actually held their own and out-shot Houston 15-10 in the first half of the final perioid. At the 6:55 mark, down 21, Gary Trent Jr. checked in for his first minutes of the season, and boy, was he spectacular,
proceeding to score three points on 1/3 shooting. On a real dud of an offensive night, it felt like a fitting end to a clunker of a game.
Stat That Stood Out
18, 19: That is the current NBA season of Kevin Durant and Nate Ament's age, respectively. KD was Ament's assignment when he checked in, and it was a trip down Feel Old Lane, realising Ament was 10 months old when Durant made his debut in Seattle.
Obscene Overreaction
Jenkins has been quite effective at instilling culture. No, there are no moral victories, but even in an ugly loss, the Bucks kept their motor high all game and showed they believe in the process. Jenkins was also very encouraging even as players struggled, which will be necessary as the young Bucks continue to grow. They may be 1-4, but they also seem to be taking the right steps under Jenkins' guidance.
