Milwaukee Bucks lay it on Charlotte Hornets, who trailed by as much as 44 in blowout
Rim protection was never going to be a Charlotte Hornets strength this season. But the extent it’s a weakness was dramatic Saturday night in Milwaukee.
The Bucks scored 16 of their 32 first-quarter points in the lane. That got them a double-digit lead quickly and ended with a 137-96 victory over the Hornets at Fiserv Forum.
The Hornets looked exhausted after beating the Pistons one night earlier in Detroit, trailing by as much as 44. The Bucks played Friday, too, winning in Cleveland, but they have the talent and depth to overcome that.
Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds in just 20 minutes. The Bucks won their 11th consecutive game.
Devonte Graham scored 24 points for the Hornets, and Terry Rozier added 19.
Nice buzz
Overmatched as the Hornets were in so many ways Saturday, they at least continued to improve in turnovers. In two games against the Pistons and the first half Saturday, the Hornets totaled 17 turnovers, which is comparable to their per-game average this season (15.8).
Bee stings
The Hornets have been somewhere between mediocre and horrible this season at protecting the rim. On Saturday, the Bucks had such ease getting the ball inside, with Milwaukee outscoring Charlotte in the lane 32 to 14 at halftime. When you give up that many layups and dunks, what you must do to correct opens holes elsewhere: The Bucks made eight of their 16 3s in the first half.
Building blocks
Dwayne Bacon’s absence from the Hornets’ rotation was more about his poor start to the season than a sore right knee that cost him two games. Bacon made his first basket in five games when coach James Borrego played him six minutes in the first half.
Even with rookie Cody Martin in the G-League, figuring out how to find Bacon minutes in a mix with Nic Batum and Malik Monk off the bench isn’t simple.
Beyond the numbers
Borrego had Cody Zeller (bruised left hip) available for the first time in three games, but he chose to leave center Bismack Biyombo in the starting lineup. That was probably mostly about not rushing Zeller back, but Biyombo’s play was impressive in back-to-back starts against the Pistons and Bucks. He totaled 32 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks in the starts.
This story was originally published November 30, 2019 at 10:06 PM.
