Pat Connaughton came alive with perhaps his best week of the season over the past seven days. It began Tuesday when the Milwaukee Bucks began a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors. Connaughton hasn’t had a better game this season; in a season-high 31 minutes, he had 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting in his best scoring performance since coming to the Bucks and tied his career high with three blocks. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent a Raptors win.
The Raptors won again Thursday, and Connaughton took a step back with seven points in 29 minutes. He was even quieter Friday when the Bucks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, managing only a pair of 3-pointers. Sunday’s win over the Sacramento Kings saw him go back in the right direction to the tune of 12 points and six rebounds. He also was a career-best 5 for 5 from the free-throw line.
With games like that, you would think the weekly line would be terrific, and you would be right. Over the past four games, Connaughton averaged 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. He shot 51.7 percent (15 of 29) from the field, including 8 of 19 from 3-point range, and made all seven of his free throws. If this week doesn’t cause a significant turn in Connaughton’s season, nothing will.