Sixers decimate Bucks to stay hot in January

With no Giannis Antetokounmpo or Malcolm Brogdon in the lineup for the Bucks, the Sixers (22-20) had an easier road to victory, and despite the Bucks (23-22) trying to get a comeback going in the fourth quarter, the Sixers pulled away for a dominant 116-94 win.

 

Turnovers were a huge factor for both teams, as both the Bucks and Sixers struggled mightily with their ball-handling and passing.

 

The Sixers were led by none other than Joel Embiid, who had a game-high 29 points, with nine rebounds, two blocks, an assist, and a steal. All accomplished in a matter of just 32 minutes.

 

All the Sixers' starters found themselves in double-digits. Ben Simmons had 16 points, three boards, and two assists. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had 16 points on the night. He shot 5-of-9 from the field, 3-of-5 from behind the arc. His +/- of plus-21 was second behind only Robert Covington (+28).

 

Speaking of Covington, he added 13 points, with five rebounds, four steals, three assists, and a block to his name.

 

Dario Saric struggled shooting the ball, going only 4-of-10 from the field, 1-of-5 from downtown, but managed to shoot his free throws perfectly, 4-of-4 from the line for a total of 13 points. However, Saric had seven assists, six rebounds, and a steal to pad his stats a little bit.

 

The bench stepped up in a lot of ways while multiple Sixers players were on the mend. With no JJ Redick or Jerryd Bayless playing, the rest of the bench needed to play at a higher level in their absence.

 

TJ McConnell played starter-like minutes with 32 (!!!), shooting 5-of-10 from the field for a total of 11 points. He added seven assists, to go along with his three rebounds and two steals. His night helped him achieve a +/- of plus-12. No three-pointers attempted for McConnell, something he utilized against Toronto last Monday, and a little against Boston on Thursday.

 

I really enjoyed the veteran leadership and hustle that Amir Johnson brought to the table for the Sixers on Saturday night, finishing with six points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a block in 16 minutes.

 

We were really wondering when Head Coach Brett Brown was going to insert newly signed two-way guard James Young into the lineup for his debut, and he managed to play eight minutes tonight.

 

Early on, Young drilled a three from the right wing, but missed a wide open layup on the play right after. He looked rusty, but the 3-pointer right off the bat showed a little bit of what Young is capable of. He looks like he will be more of a serviceable option than Jacob Pullen was in the same role.

 

The Bucks really missed Giannis, and the way they played down the stretch was a pretty good indication of that.

 

Khris Middleton piled on the stats for the Bucks, tallying 23 points, grabbing 14 points, with 10 assists. He shot 9-of-20 from the field, 1-of-5 from downtown. Tony Snell (15), Sterling Brown (14), Eric Bledsoe (14), and John Henson (11) all managed to score in double-digits to complete the starting five.

 

With Antetokounmpo and Malcolm Brogdon missing the game for Milwaukee, the Bucks needed to turn to a multitude of bench players to try to get the job done.

 

The Bucks managed to use an entire 13-man roster to try to take down the Sixers, even though 4-of-5 Milwaukee starters played in at least 38 minutes.

 

The Bucks shot 40.2% (33-82) from the field as a team, 31.3% (10-32) from three, and 81.8% (18-22) from the line.

 

The Sixers shot 52.9% (45-85) from the field, 40% (10-25) from three, and 84.2% (16-19) from the foul line in the win.

 

The Sixers outrebounded the Bucks 45-35, and grabbed 34 defensive rebounds compared to their 11 offensive.

 

The win is the Sixers' third in a row, winning eight of their last 10 games. The win also moves the Sixers into sixth-place in the tightly-contested Eastern Conference with a record of 22-20.