Jabari Parker’s Debut, Other Takeaways From Bucks’ 91-87 Victory Over Sixers
By Max Marcilla
It wasn’t pretty, but the Milwaukee Bucks won their second consecutive game Wednesday night as they snuck past the winless Philadelphia 76ers 91-87 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
An electric atmosphere swept through the stands as Bucks’ fans welcomed the 2014 second-overall pick Jabari Parker back to the rotation. The home team took a commanding eight-point lead by the conclusion of the first quarter, guided by 50 percent shooting. However, after the hot start, the team cooled down, shooting 36 percent in the next two periods.
Their offense re-emerged sporadically in the final quarter and was enough to propel the Bucks to the victory.
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Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night’s victory:
Greivis Vasquez contributes
Vasquez’s shooting woes have been on display early in the 2015-16 season, but with the absence of starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams (ankle), the former Toronto Raptor earned crunch-time reps, and delivered. With just less than three minutes to play in the third quarter, and Milwaukee trailing by seven, Vasquez had a crucial sequence of explosive plays.
After hitting a mid-range jumper, he intercepted Isaiah Canaan‘s pass and made a transition layup, trimming the deficit to three.
Later, Vasquez assisted a three-point shot by Khris Middleton that put the Bucks up by four with 48.4 seconds on the clock. He was able to find the bottom of the net in the second half, making 3-of-8 field goals (4-of-12 overall), a significant improvement from his 2-for-18 shooting slump he was in entering Wednesday night.
His plus-17 plus-minus rating was the highest on the team.
Antetokounmpo’s surge
Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his efficient offensive play as he tallied 17 points on just 11 shots. The “Greek Freak” was passive early in the game, but then used his length and quickness to drive to the hoop.
The 6-foot-11, 20-year old athletic monster added another play to his highlight reel in the third quarter. Navigating through traffic, Antetokounmpo made a superb finger-roll finish through contact. The and-one gave the Bucks at 68-67 lead in the final seconds of the quarter.
Parker’s jitters
In limited minutes, Jabari Parker proved how difficult it is to play in an NBA game after nearly a full calendar-year off. However, his defensive contributions were a silver-lining in what was otherwise a difficult debut.
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His shot was clearly off, and the second-year pro finished 1-of-6, but he was active on the boards and defensively.
“I had a few jitters,” Parker told Fox Sports Wisconsin after the win. “But most importantly, I was more involved in the game.”