After dropping the season opener by 26 points to the Brooklyn Nets, things got worse for the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee quickly turned a 10 point lead against Golden State at halftime into a 24 point lead heading to the fourth quarter. The Bucks continued to pour it on in the final quarter, resulting in consecutive blowout losses for the Warriors to start the season, 138-99.
While reigning Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled to find his shot, hitting only 4-of-14 from the field, his fellow All-Star teammate picked up the slack. Sharpshooter Khris Middleton scored a game-high 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field with five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Middleton did extra damage against Golden State from beyond the arc, knocking down six 3-pointers on eight attempts.
Golden State couldn’t answer back on the offensive end, struggling to hit open shots for the second straight game. As a team, the Warriors shot 34.3% from the field and a lowly 22.2% from deep.
Following two games against Eastern Conference contenders, the Warriors will have a chance to turn it around in the second leg of their road trip with stops in Chicago and Detroit.