Milwaukee Bucks Routinely Defeat Sacramento Kings, 127-106

The Milwaukee Bucks posted a big win in Sacramento tonight, beating the Kings 127-106. It was another of the hosts’ usual games in which they show their massive potential, but also manifest all the weaknesses one team could have. The Kings were going up and down, having good and bad sequences, and eventually lost to Bucks.

“We have to be better at things we can control and we didn’t do that well enough tonight,” Luke Walton admitted at the press conference.

When you are up against the top team in the league, led by the MVP, there isn’t a room for the slightest mistake, let alone for posting massive oscillations while the game still lasts. Luke Walton’s crew does that almost every night, and that is why they sit way behind the playoff zone in the West.

The Bucks, meanwhile, don’t have those kinds of problems. NBA-best started pounding midway through the first, making a 17-4 rush, to pull away to 29-16. Guests continued in the same manner, creating an 18-point advantage in the second, but also allowing the Kings to come back and cut the deficit to nine buckets, 53-44.

Harry Gilles, two consecutive baskets throughout the middle of the third period, put Sacramento ahead, 63-60, but then came a massive meltdown of Walton’s side. In no time, the Bucks make a 21-4 rush, annihilating the hosts’ morale and silencing the Golden One Center.

“We see firsthand why that team only has 6 losses. That’s a really good team. What we take from tonight is, they are just solid throughout, and they take advantage of every mistake we made,”  Walton said about Milwaukee.

It was the deciding moment of the match, and nothing changed until the buzzer. Milwaukee was routine, and the Kings just wandered around the court without an idea on how to make another push. It was one of those moments when it was obvious that they don’t have a guy who can pull the team, a unique leader who is the No.1 in the locker room.

The home team did a solid job of stopping Giannis, who had just 13 points, with 10 boards, But apart from that, nothing was good on the defensive side of Sacramento’s game.

“Tonight we did a decent job on Giannis and it’s the other guys that made us pay,” Kings’ head coach stated.

Khris Middleton added 27 points, Eric Bledsoe 24. Middleton also had 11 boards and was shooting 9-for-12 from the field. Donte DiVincenzo scored 18 off the bench, and we need to say that he gets better and better from game to game. Sterling Brown had 11 and 12 boards.

The entire Bucks roster jumped the Kings mascot 😂 @BRWrestling

(via @NBCSKings)pic.twitter.com/feENUoSnRX

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 11, 2020

For the hosts, De’Aaron Fox came up one rebound short of a triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists and 9 boards, but with 6 turnovers. Harrison Barnes had 19 also, while Buddy Hield scored 16. Nemanja Bjelica posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Bogdan Bogdanovic still isn’t playing, and although the official reports say that he has issues with his ankle, unofficial sources are suggesting that he waits to be traded.

The Kings (15-24) are playing the next with the next two games at home. If then mean to stay in the race for the playoffs, a win is a must. Their first opponents are the Orlando Magic, and after that come the Dallas Mavericks who lost against the Lakers tonight.

As for the Bucks (34-6), the NBA leaders travel to Portland for a second of back-to-back nights and go back home after that contest. They are looking very good, and apparently very fresh although maintaining a high pace in each of the games.