Jim Ovcharsky talks about the Bucks’ struggles and Giannis’ firing
Milwaukee Bucks reporter Jim Oczarski talks about the team’s early season struggles on defense, Giannis’ firing, and more.
ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night at Amway Center, winning 112-97. The game was never in doubt after the first half, as the Magic scored 36 points in the decisive second quarter.
Orlando’s rising star, Paulo Banchero, achieved the victory with one minute and 44 seconds left in the match after he shot the ball and scored between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to make the score 110-95. Then he and Jalen Suggs celebrated with a hug in the backcourt as the Bucks called timeout.
Banchero led the Magic with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. Suggs added 20. Franz Wagner had 24.
Antetokounmpo scored 35 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and provided seven assists for the Bucks. Cameron Payne, who replaced the injured Damian Lillard, scored 14 points and two assists. Bobby Portis added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Milwaukee has now lost two in a row and is 5-4 on the year. Orlando improved to 5-4.
Square score: Magic 112, Pax 97
The Bucks’ first half woes continue
For the second time in nine games, the Bucks saw themselves defeated by one of the worst offensive teams in the league. After allowing 66 first-half points to the league’s worst offensive team in Toronto on Nov. 1, the Magic scored 65 first-half points on Saturday night.
Orlando ranked 22nd in the league by scoring 109.9 points per game.
The Magic have taken advantage of some of the Bucks’ weaknesses so far, scoring 13 points on eight offensive rebounds and 13 more on the Bucks’ nine assists. Milwaukee entered the game as one of the worst rebounding teams in the league and 11th in giveaways.
Although Orlando entered the game as an average team in terms of speed (100.31 possessions per game), they wanted to get out and run the Bucks to force the issue and help with fouls. Milwaukee was booed 13 times (along with a technical foul on Cameron Payne), allowing the Magic to go 18-for-21 from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, the Bucks had trouble establishing offensive rhythm against the Magic’s fifth-best defense (107.3 points allowed per game). Although Milwaukee forced Orlando into six turnovers, they only scored one point on extra possessions. Khris Middleton was just 0-for-2 in eight minutes and the bench unit contributed just nine points on 2-of-8 shooting.
Jae Crowder injury vs. Magic
With 3 minutes, 54 seconds left in the third quarter, Jae Crowder was replaced by AJ Green, and the veteran winger walked straight into the Bucks’ locker room. He was immediately ruled out due to left thigh pain. Crowder played 17 minutes against the Magic, going 0-for-1 from the floor and 1-for-2 from the free throw line for one point. He also grabbed two rebounds.
The dollars get small, small at the end of the game
In the second half, Adrian Griffin rotated through Thanasis Antetokounmpo and rookies Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis.
Milwaukee cut a 21-point deficit late in the third quarter to 11 with 8:17 left in the game thanks to a Jackson Jr. goal, but Banchero hit a contested jumper over Livingston and Jonathan Isaac followed with a 3-pointer to extend the goal. Count to 16 and give the magic breathing room.
Brook Lopez played 21 minutes, and none after 7:05 in the third quarter with the Bucks trailing 77-60. Fellow rookie Malik Beasley (20 minutes) also did not play in the final minutes of the third or fourth quarter. Cameron Payne finished out the final few minutes after sitting out most of the frame.
5 numbers
2 Technical fouls on Bucks (Cameron Payne, Bobby Portis). It was Portis’ second of the season and Payne was the sixth different player to be technically assessed this season. Players have been leveled up eight times already.
8:29 Time remained in the second quarter when Bucks coach Adrian Griffin used a challenge on a foul by Bobby Portis. The foul was upheld, leaving the Bucks unchallenged for the remainder of the match.
5-12 Free throws by Giannis Antetokounmpo against the Magic. He was 16 for 18 from the line against Indiana on Thursday night.
35 Free throws are magic. Milwaukee allowed opponents 19.8 free throws per game, third-most in the league. Orlando made 30 of them.02/19/2019 It was the last time the Magic beat the Bucks, as Saturday’s win ended a 14-game winning streak against Milwaukee.
Damian Lillard will miss the Bucks’ game against the Magic
The Bucks’ NBA guard was ruled out an hour before facing the Pacers, after being listed as questionable due to soreness in his right calf. He held the same title in Saturday’s match against Orlando.
After warmups, the Bucks ruled him out of the game against the Magic.
Bucks coach Adrian Griffin was speaking as Lillard went through his pregame routine, but he didn’t think Lillard’s second straight game injury created any greater concern about that.
“No,” Griffin said. “I just think if we have to err on the side of caution, be careful with him.”
As for the mechanisms for classifying Lillard as suffering from “pain” in his calf, this label will likely end after Saturday’s game.
Unlike previous years where teams could list “pain” as a reason for missing games as long as they saw fit, the league changed that rule this season.
Now, teams can no longer use the word “pain” – or variations thereof – as a designation for more than two games in a row. While the league can grant permission to use “Wrench” et al. As a reason for absence, it is meant to be a placeholder for a more formal diagnosis.
So, after Saturday’s game in Orlando, the Bucks will have to be more specific about the injuries their star is suffering from.
They will be asked to specifically identify the injury by:
- Status (i.e. out, questionable, available)
- Cause (injury/illness)
- Aspects (i.e. Left, Right, or N/A)
- Body part (i.e. elbow and hamstrings)
Marjon Beauchamp is hosting a turkey drive on Sunday
Bucks second-year player Marjon Beauchamp is hosting a turkey drive for Milwaukee residents on Sunday from 3-5 p.m. Through his eponymous foundation, the 23-year-old is teaming up with World Visions and Black Men United to distribute 200 turkeys and 200 food boxes. . And toys, socks, diapers and bicycles in 42 factory office suites1134 N 9th St. in Milwaukee.
e-mail [email protected] For registration information.
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