The Thunder fell to the Bucks 108-94 on Saturday evening in Milwaukee. The Thunder finished with the fewest points they have scored in any game this season, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since the Bucks boast the number-one defense in the league. The Bucks were victorious despite the fact that they were playing for the second night in a row. They were also missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and all-star Khris Middleton, who hasn’t played yet this season as he continues to rehab an off-season wrist surgery.
The Bucks benefitted from strong contributions from key role players and significant board advantage. Milwaukee out-rebounded the Thunder 55-38 and secured nine more offensive rebounds than OKC in the process. The two teams were tied 34-34 at the end of the first quarter, but the Bucks used a 33-19 second quarter to pull away. The Thunder threatened in the second half, cutting down their 24-point deficit and twice pulling within ten points of the Bucks. However, they ultimately couldn’t bridge the gap and they drop to 4-5 with the loss.
In the following slides, we’ll evaluate the performances of each Thunder starter. We’ll also take a look at the Thunder’s top bench contributor as well as one standout performer from the opposing side.