Bucks stopped here
It was a close one, and then suddenly it wasn’t close anymore. The Thunder had a one-point lead at halftime, 51-50, and then put together a 17-0 run that ate up more than half of the third quarter. The Bucks never got within ten again after that. Oklahoma City 108, Milwaukee 90, in front of the usual 18,203 at the Ford and an unusual national audience on ESPN.
Actually, this one statistic is as telling as any other: Milwaukee Wunderkind point guard Brandon Jennings was held to two points in the first half. He got some traction in the fourth quarter, finishing with 12, but by then it was too late. The Bucks’ frontcourt, Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova, were hot from behind the arc in the first half, but by the third quarter the Thunder had figured out something resembling a perimeter defense. Delfino and reserve forward Hakim Warrick managed 15 points each. On the injury front, Andrew Bogut was still gone, but Michael Redd was back. It didn’t seem to make any difference. Ilyasova, though, did record a double-double: 13 points, 12 rebounds.
The Thunder, once again, owned the boards: 52-40 in rebounding. They shot 47.5 percent, versus 37.8 for the Bucks. And OKC had five in double figures, led as usual by KD with 33 points and 12 rebounds. Also in the double-double club: Thabo Sefolosha (13/11). Russell Westbrook checked in with 20, seven assists and only two turnovers; Jeff Green was good for 17. Weirdly, James Harden missed both his foul shots but hit 6 of 7 from the floor, including three treys. And newly-acquired backup guard Mike Wilks got his first ten minutes and two points.
It never hurts to start a homestand with a win, and the Weather Phenomena are now 9-7, while the Bucks drop to 8-6. (Last season, the 9th win came on the 21st of January, after 34 losses.) The Rockets will be here Sunday, followed by the Sixers on Wednesday.
