For the second straight game, the Milwaukee Bucks had a chance to win a close game in the waning seconds on their home floor—but for the second straight game, Jason Kidd’s squad came up just short.
Brandon Knight had a great look at the basket from the top of the key with 3.9 seconds left in regulation to force an overtime period, but it was hard off the back iron. Zaza Pachulia had a second-chance at it with a tip-in at the rim, but it didn’t fall, as the Utah Jazz (15-28) held on for a 101-99 victory at the BMO Harris Bradley Center Thursday night.
“It is disappointing not to win at home, especially the last two games,” Coach Kidd said. “We were coming off the London game and feeling good about ourselves. Then we got here and had two opportunities to win it on the last possession. We have to look at how we can get better. We have one more game here (Saturday against Detroit) before we head out on the road.”
J-Kidd’s ball club could not stop the air raid of 3-pointers from the Jazz—making 14 trifectas on 31 attempts, Utah was just too comfortable from the perimeter. Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 24 points, including two threes, while rookie point guard Dante Exum had 15 points on five 3-pointers. Utah played just eight players in the game; all of whom made a 3-point field goal, except one, center Rudy Gobert.
Making shots is a contagious activity that seemed to be oozing throughout the Jazz team, but that wasn’t the case for Milwaukee. The Bucks turned the Jazz over 22 times, and outscored Utah in the paint 54-30.
As close as the game was, Jason knows it could have been a much easier game to control if his team just made open shots.
“Sounds like we said this just the other night,” Jason said to a reporter. “Got great looks, just didn’t make them. For us, we have a lot of trouble making open shots. We have to get better at that. But to give ourselves an opportunity to win the game after starting off so slow, the guys off the bench gave us a spark.”
Trey Burke sank a 25-footer in the first quarter that gave Utah a 22-10 lead with 3:39 left. But Milwaukee began to roar back behind the play of Brandon Knight and Jared Dudley, cutting the lead to just six at halftime, 53-47.
Knight finished with 16 point on 6-of-16 shooting, while Dudley matched the same total, including three 3-pointers.
Milwaukee went on a 16-4 run to open the third quarter, taking a 63-57 lead. Knight had eight points during the run and the Bucks picked up the pace and got out on the break.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last, and the Jazz closed within 79-76 at the end of the quarter while playing against the Bucks second squad.
“Some of the subs didn’t carry over what the starters brought in that second half,” Jason said. “Guys were going good in the third quarter. That second group played extremely well in the first half. It was a tale of two halves. They played great in the first half, but the second unit didn’t play well in the second half.”
Milwaukee held its lead through much of the final quarter, but the Jazz to control in the final five minutes thanks to a 12-1 run. Jason’s Bucks, however, fired right back with an 8-2 flurry of their own, highlighted by a treacherous dunk from Giannis Antetokounmpo and a trifecta from Dudley that made it just a two-point game, 101-99, with 1:29 to go.
Before Knight’s attempt from the top of the key in the final seconds, Dudley had a great look of his own from downtown that would of put the Bucks up by one, but it rimmed out. The rebound bounced off Gobert’s leg, giving Milwaukee the last chance of the game—again. However, similar to the loss to Toronto to start the week, the key shot just didn’t fall.
“Giannis had a layup, B-Knight had a layup, and Duds had a three that went in and out,” Jason said. “Then the last shot was in and out. We got some great looks, but they just didn’t go down for us tonight.”
UP NEXT
Milwaukee will have one more home game before heading out on the road Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons (17-26). The Pistons are playing some of the best basketball in the league right now, recording a 12-3 record in the their last 15 games.
Detroit will be coming off a nice rest period after drubbing the Orlando Magic 128-118 Wednesday night.
Former Buck Brandon Jennings recorded a very impressive double-double against the Magic, scoring 24 points and dishing out a career-high 21 assists. Big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe are both averaging double figures in points and rebounds this season and are a force to be reckoned with down low.
This will be the fourth matchup between the two teams; Milwaukee is up in the season series 2-1. Detroit took Round 1 in Detroit, but the Bucks have won both since, including a 98-86 victory at the Bradley Center.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.
