Bedlam. It was bedlam from start to finish in the sold-out BMO Harris Bradley Center as the Milwaukee Bucks won 108-95 and snapped the Golden State Warriors’ NBA record 24-game winning streak to start the season
With the win, the Bucks became the first team to beat the Warriors this season, and their 28-game winning streak dating back to last season.
Not the first time the Bucks experienced breaking long streaks, as they also snapped the Lakers’ 33-game winning streak in 1972. As a franchise, the Bucks have now ended the two longest winning streaks in NBA history.
“What is bigger than the streak is that they are the world champs. Streak or no streak, they are the best team in the league until someone knocks them off. For us, we didn’t talk about the streak. We talked about playing the World Champs and no matter what, we have to play our best. Shows character of this young team, and we are turning in the right direction,” said Bucks head coach Jason Kidd after the victory.
The Bucks came out of the gates hot, taking an early 28-18 lead in the first quarter with the help of O.J. Mayo connecting on three 3-point shots. Unlike Mayo and the Bucks, the Warriors came out cold, and were only 2 of 10 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, an area where they are normally deadly. Golden State finished shooting only 6 of 26 from three-point range.
(Image from si.com)
The energy never left the Bucks the entire game, and they never wavered when Golden State cut into the lead. Golden State’s biggest lead in the game was only 3 points compared to the Bucks biggest lead of 15. There were times during the game when Golden State would go on a run and cut the lead to one, thinking this is when the Warriors pull away, but the Bucks never backed down.
With 2:51 to go in the game, the Bucks put the dagger on the Warriors with an and-1 field goal by Greg Monroe to put the Bucks up 102-90, as the crowd erupted.
Multiple players for the Bucks had arguably their best game of the season. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted his first career triple-double in the win with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Greg Monroe finished with a season-high 28 points and 11 rebounds. Jabari Parker posted season-highs in points (19) and field goals made (9). Mayo recorded his season-high 18 points. And Michael Carter-Williams snagged a team season-high five steals to go along with 17 points and 5 assists.
“We definitely stuck together tonight. We knew what they had coming in. It was a great run by them, especially coming off a championship. We knew what tactics we had coming in. We wanted to make sure we do the things we did, the things we go over, and try and try to make it as tough as possible for them,” said Monroe.
Stephen Curry finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Warriors in the loss. Draymond Green added 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting.
I asked Curry after the game what the Bucks did well to slow the team down and he said, “They played with energy, got in the driving lanes, got offensive rebounds. They played a little harder and more consistently than we did tonight. We showed some spurts to get back into the game, we got some stops. But for 48 minutes, I don’t think anyone can say we played as hard as they (Bucks) did. They made the plays they needed to make.”
The Warriors are now 24-1 on the year, and were not too down on the loss, but rather more proud of what they accomplished.
Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton said of the team, “What they did to start the season, there’s no reason for anyone to hang their heads in that locker room for losing that game. They’ve been incredible all year. Losses are going to come. We didn’t have it tonight. That’s why it’s so hard to do what these guys have done so far. Tonight it caught up to us. It happens, but it takes nothing away from what they’ve done to start the season.”
After tonight’s game, the Bucks take off on a four-game West Coast trip to square off against the L.A. Lakers (12/15), the L.A. Clippers (12/16), and then to Golden State (12/18) for a rematch.
“It will be a fun test again when we go back at them on Friday,” said Curry with Green saying, “yessir” in the background. Sounds like the Warriors may be looking for some revenge on the Bucks this Friday night.