by Charlie O. Mallonee
The Kings entered the game on Monday night in Milwaukee with high hopes. The Bucks superstar – Giannis Antetokounmpo – was ruled out the game because he wanted to be with his new-born son (who we all expect to be the number one overall draft selection in 2038). Without “the freak” on the floor, the Kings knew they had at least a fighting chance versus the powerful Bucks.
The Kings (21-32) fell behind early, and it looked like it might be a walkover game for Milwaukee (46-7) even without Giannis. At the end of the first quarter, the Bucks held 38-24 lead.
Sacramento rebounded in the second quarter. The Kings outscored the Bucks 34-19 in the second period behind the 13 point barrage by Harrison Barnes. Barnes went 4-for-4 from the floor with all three of his 3-point attempts finding their mark. He also converted both of his free throw attempts. The Kings went to the locker room at halftime with a 58-57 lead.
The two teams went into an epic battle in the third quarter and went toe to toe. The Kings outscored the Bucks 32-31 in the quarter and held a 90-88 advantage at the end of 36 minutes.
The Bucks started the final quarter with a 13-0 run and never looked back. Milwaukee went on to outscore the Kings 35-21 in the fourth quarter as they fell 12 points short when the final buzzer sounded.
Top scorers
- Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe were the leading scorers in the game scoring 28 points each
- Harrison Barnes was the Kings top scorer with 23 points
The Glass Cleaners
- Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton made it a double-double game by pulling down 11 rebounds
- De’Aaron Fox and Nemanja Bjelica grabbed eight rebounds each for the Kings
Dropping Dimes
- De’Aaron Fox was the game’s assist leader with 11 which gave him a double-double game
- Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe dropped eight dimes each for the Bucks
Up next
The Kings will be back in action on Wednesday night in Dallas.
The Bucks will travel to Indianapolis to play the Pacers on Wednesday night.
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