Warriors can’t match Bucks’ talent, lose 107-98
The Golden State Warriors don't boast the same talent as the Milwaukee Bucks.
SAN FRANCISCO — It wasn’t so long ago that the Warriors could turn a sub-par performance into a comfortable victory.
But, facing the new class of the NBA, the Warriors lost to the Bucks 107-98 Wednesday night at Chase Center, as the team with the league’s best record, reigning MVP and championship-or-bust aspirations served Golden State a reminder of how quickly the league’s balance of power can change.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a falling-away floater from the baseline that he followed with a 3-pointer from the corner to score Milwaukee’s first five points of the game. Like they did against James Harden on Christmas Day, the Warriors (9-30) devised a specific defensive scheme in an attempt to limit Antetokounmpo.
They built a three-man wall in front of Antetokounmpo as he brought the ball up the court and, though the defense wasn’t as effective as it was against Harden, Antetokounmpo at times seemed frustrated. He still finished with 30 points on 10-for-21 shooting, 12 rebounds and four assists.
Several runs kept the Warriors in striking distance throughout the game, including when rookie center Alen Smailagic hit a corner 3-pointer that cut the Bucks’ lead to one midway through the second quarter.
After the Bucks (33-6) opened up a 13-point lead late in the third quarter, rookie guard Ky Bowman’s right-handed dunk cut the deficit to five with 6:11 left in the game.
At halftime of Wednesday’s nationally televised game, ESPN showed a graphic with the team’s leading scorers side by side. For the Bucks, it was predictably Antetokounmpo. For the Warriors, it was Smailagic, who finished the game with a career-high 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting (1-for-2 from 3-point range) and four rebounds.
On a night when D’Angelo Russell (right shoulder contusion) and Stephen Curry (left hand surgery) watched from the bench in blazers, the Warriors faced a talent gap too great to overcome.
Guard Alec Burks led the Warriors with 19 points on 5-for-13 shooting off the bench, and Golden State’s 3-point shooting (15-for-38 overall compared to 9-for-41 for Milwaukee) helped offset the difference in talent.
When they leave San Francisco, the Bucks will be on pace for their second straight 60-win season and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and Antetokounmpo for a second straight MVP award before
The Warriors will cobble together a few more wins and moral victories, but ultimately miss the postseason for the first time in seven seasons. But, by this time next year, Golden State should be back in contention.
By then, the Bucks could be feeling the pressure of Antetokounmpo’s upcoming free agency, just as the Warriors did last season with Kevin Durant. And, who knows? Within only a couple of years, the league’s power dynamic could shift again.