The Brooklyn Nets were not only seeking revenge on the Milwaukee Bucks after being eliminated by them in last year’s playoffs, they were seeking to spoil the Bucks’ championship ceremony night. Giannis Antetokounmpo (32 PTS, 14 REBS, 7 ASTS) had other plans.
The Bucks star propelled Milwaukee to a 127-104 win. After receiving their rings, the reigning champions came out the gates locking down defensively and playing with much better chemistry than the Nets. The Bucks were able to force 12 turnovers while also capitalizing off of them, attempting 21 more shots than the Nets.
Unfortunately for them in the process, Jrue Holiday (12 PTS, 18 MINS) was forced to leave the game due to a right heel contusion.
Before you knew it, the Nets found themselves down by as many as 19 points in the first half. Brooklyn made several runs to cut the deficit, but the Bucks would always extend the lead whenever the Nets got within striking distance.
At one point, Patty Mills (21 PTS) was the only source of offense in the first two periods. By the time Kevin Durant (32 PTS, 11 REBS) and James Harden (20 PTS, 8 ASTS) found their rhythm, the deficit was too much to recover from.
Here are our grades for the Nets roster in the season-opening loss: