The Bucks fell 128-116 at Washington on Wednesday after holding the lead for most of three quarters, and Anthony Davis finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds. Tyler Herro led Milwaukee with 24 points and 9 assists, but the frontcourt ran short of bodies just as the game turned.
Last season
Milwaukee finished 32-50 last season with a net rating of minus-6.1. Washington was worse, at 17-65 and minus-11.8. Davis played only 20 games for the Wizards, averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds. Both teams came in on four days of rest. The Bucks' last outing had been a 128-127 win at Indiana on October 16, with 25 points from Herro.
October 21, first half
An 8-0 Washington run in the first quarter turned a 13-8 Bucks lead into a 16-13 deficit, and Milwaukee trailed 25-23 after one. The answer came in the second: a 9-0 burst that flipped a 34-30 hole into a 39-34 lead and forced a Wizards timeout. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jim Owczarski credited Herro with sparking that run and with a 14-point, 4-assist half. The Bucks led 56-51 at the break.
October 21, third quarter
Jaquez carried the start of the third. When Washington called time with Milwaukee up 69-64, he had 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and a plus-7, with 7 of those points coming in the period. Rollins and Turner were each plus-9 at that point, though Rollins had made only 2 of 10 shots. Owczarski reported that Ware picked up his fifth foul with 3:35 left in the quarter and Turner his fourth, guarding Davis. The Bucks still led 93-90 going into the fourth.
October 21, fourth quarter
The lead didn't last. According to Owczarski, Washington opened the quarter on a 7-0 run to go ahead 97-96 in under two minutes, Ware fouled out with 9:33 left, and the Wizards pushed it to 105-98 while Milwaukee scored two points in just over three minutes. Back-to-back threes from Herro and Turner cut it to 111-104 with 5:54 left. Davis kept scoring, and Washington won 128-116.
This week
Grades: Jaquez gets an A-minus for the efficient scoring that kept Milwaukee in front through three quarters. Herro gets a B-plus for 24 points, 9 assists and one of the threes in the last push. Ware gets a D: minus-4 in 9 minutes before the fouls took him out. The thin frontcourt is the lesson here. According to Hoops Rumors, the Warriors have contacted the Bucks, among other teams, about Porzingis.
Who led the Bucks in scoring against the Wizards?
Tyler Herro led Milwaukee with 24 points and added 9 assists in the 128-116 loss at Washington.
When do the Bucks play next?
Milwaukee hosts the Bulls on October 23, then plays at Philadelphia on October 24.
