Tag: Khris Middleton

Pat Connaughton NBA Tracker: March 14-20

Pat is back!

Pat Connaughton was out for over a month after having surgery on his right finger. While he was recovering, the Milwaukee Bucks ascended to the top of the Central Division and put themselves in the mix for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Of course, it didn’t mean they missed Planet Pat any less. Finally, the NBA’s lone Notre Dame alumnus made his return.

Connaughton was back in the Bucks’ lineup during their March 19 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He wasted no time making up for the time lost as he scored 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range in 20 minutes. His scoring output matched that of Bucks starters Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. Even though it was a 19-point defeat, perhaps Connaughton still felt the need to pick up the slack for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was out with a knee injury.

It will be interesting to see how much Connaughton factors in the Bucks’ push for playoff positioning. Stay tuned for updates on this site.

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OKC Thunder player grades: SGA scores efficient 33 points in 142-115 loss to Bucks

After playing like a top 10 defense prior, the Thunder have been a bottom five defense in the league since the All-Star break.

The Oklahoma City Thunder fall to the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, 142-115.

Despite it being a 27-point loss, this game had the feel of the same song and dance for the Thunder this season where they make things interesting and stay in games they should be able to stay in on paper. Surprisingly enough, the shorthanded Thunder was able to keep up offensively — as the team scored 93 points in the first three quarters — but the issues came on the defensive side of the floor. This is now the third of the last five games where the Thunder’s opponent has scored at least 130 points in regulation. Since the All-Star break, the Thunder have had the 25th overall defensive rating. A stark contrast to the eighth-placed ranking the team has before the All-Star break. It seems like the lack of NBA talent and experience along with the general lack of available bodies have caught up with the Thunder on defense since the All-Star break.

For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way once again as he scored another efficient 30-point game. For the Bucks, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 39 points while Khris Middleton finished with 25 points.

Overall, this was a productive loss. Gilgeous-Alexander continues to score the ball like one of the best players in the league since the All-Star break and some of the young guys showed flashes in this offensive showing for a team that has struggled offensively all season long. Let’s take a look at player grades.

Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton lead defending champion Bucks past Christian Wood, Rockets

Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton led the defending NBA champion Bucks to a convincing win Wednesday over Christian Wood (20 points, 11 rebounds) and the visiting Rockets.

Houston center Christian Wood played well Wednesday versus one of his former NBA teams, but the former Milwaukee player didn’t have nearly enough help as Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and the veteran-laden Bucks routed the young Rockets, 126-106 (box score).

The defending champions improved to 20-13 with the victory, which came without two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (health and safety protocols). Meanwhile, the rebuilding Rockets fell for the fourth time in five games, dropping them to 10-22 on the 2021-22 season.

Holiday led the Bucks with 24 points and 10 assists, and he shot 10-of-17 from the field (58.8%) and 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%) in Wednesday’s win, while Middleton added 23 points and 6 assists in 28 minutes. Veteran wing Wesley Matthews scored 16 points off the bench for Milwaukee in only 20 minutes, including 4-of-5 on 3-pointers (80.0%).

Wood had 20 points and 11 rebounds in 28 minutes to lead Houston, but his 0-of-6 showing from 3-point range felt appropriate on a night that the Rockets made just 13-of-45 as a team on 3-pointers (28.9%). By comparison, Milwaukee connected on 17-of-46 from long range (37.0%).

Wood connected on 6-of-7 shots (85.7%) from inside the arc and 8-of-11 on free throws (72.7%). Both were well above his season averages.

Besides Wood, other double-digit scorers for Houston were:

  • Eric Gordon: 12 points, 4-of-9 shooting (44.4%), 2-of-6 on 3-pointers (33.3%), 6 assists in 24 minutes
  • Garrison Mathews: 10 points, 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%), 6 rebounds in 27 minutes
  • Alperen Sengun: 10 points, 4-of-6 shooting (66.7%), 8 rebounds, 4 assists in 24 minutes
  • KJ Martin: 10 points, 5-of-12 shooting (41.7%), 2-of-5 on 3-pointers (40.0%), 6 assists, 5 rebounds in 28 minutes

The Rockets were again short-handed on Wednesday, with the expected starting backcourt of Jalen Green (left hamstring strain) and Kevin Porter Jr. (left thigh contusion) still sidelined versus the Bucks. But that situation should change soon, with Green set to return on Thursday in Indiana and Porter potentially in the following game.

For now, scroll on for highlights and postgame reaction from Milwaukee. Tipoff in Indianapolis is set for 6:00 p.m. CST on Thursday.

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Rockets at Bucks: Prediction, point spread, odds, over/under, betting picks

Even without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks (-10.5) are still moderately favored over Houston thanks to the likely return of Khris Middleton.

The Houston Rockets are on Game 3 of a five-game road trip with Wednesday’s matchup in Milwaukee, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ve got the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as all the information you need to make the smartest bet at Tipico Sportsbook.

The Rockets-Bucks game tips off at 7 p.m. CST and can be viewed or streamed via AT&T SportsNet Southwest and NBA League Pass.

When the Rockets last faced the Bucks on Friday, Dec. 10, they entered on a seven-game winning streak and were, improbably, the NBA’s hottest team. But since losing at home that night to the defending champions, Houston has slipped back toward its expected rebuilding path, with only two wins over the team’s latest seven-game stretch.

In that earlier meeting, Giannis Antetokounmpo took over with 41 points and 17 rebounds while making 15-of-19 shots (78.9%) overall. This time, though, the two-time league MVP isn’t expected to be available due to a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. On paper, that could be an opening for Christian Wood and the Rockets to make amends.

Reaction: Giannis Antetokounmpo leads dominant fourth quarter as Bucks snap Rockets’ streak

Giannis Antetokounmpo outdueled Christian Wood and Garrison Mathews as Houston’s long winning streak finally came to an end Friday versus the defending NBA champs.

Two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game-high 41 points and 17 rebounds as the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks took over late in Friday’s game to finally snap a seven-game winning streak by the host Houston Rockets, 123-114 (box score).

The “Greek Freak” connected on 15-of-19 shots (78.9%) from the field, and he had plenty of help from teammates Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis, who scored 21 points apiece and combined to make 8-of-18 shots from 3-point range (44.4%). Milwaukee (17-10) trailed for much of the game, but they outscored Houston (8-17) by a commanding 33-19 margin in the fourth quarter to finally take control at Toyota Center.

Garrison Mathews scored 23 points on 6-of-11 shooting on 3-pointers (54.5%) to lead the Rockets, representing the most points yet for “Garry Bird” in Houston. Christian Wood added 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Armoni Brooks scored 21 points and hit four 3-pointers.

Rookie big man Alperen Sengun had 15 points and 5 rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting (75.0%) in only 16 minutes, but he didn’t play in the game’s final nine minutes as Milwaukee took over in the clutch. See below for highlights and postgame reaction from the Houston locker room.

Friday’s game wraps up a four-game homestand for the rebuilding Rockets, who are now set to begin a rough stretch of eight road games in their next nine. That starts with Saturday’s visit to Memphis on night two of a split back-to-back, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central.

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Relive the Brooklyn Nets’ top 10 plays of the 2020-21 season

With a new campaign on the horizon, let’s look back at the Brooklyn Nets’ top 10 plays from last year.

Despite falling short of a championship last year, the Nets did not fall short in putting on a show in almost every game. With all the talent in Brooklyn last season, the team was bound to put together some spectacular highlights. From game winners, to ankle-breakers to posters that you can hang up on your wall, the Nets had it all.

Putting together the top 10 plays must have been a headache with everything that went down last year, but the NBA’s YouTube team pulled it off. Without further adieu, let us take a look at the top 10 plays from the Brooklyn Nets last season.

Playoff MVP rankings: Who performed the best in the postseason?

Ranking the top performers of the 2021 NBA playoffs.

There’s no NBA version of the NHL’s Conn Smythe Trophy, the award handed out at the end of the hockey season to the most valuable player of the playoffs.

The closest thing is the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award. But that solely captures a players’ performance in the championship series, not taking into account the run to get there.

It’s worth taking a look back at a roller coaster of a postseason — filled with 50-point masterpieces and clutch shots, each more impressive than the last — to create a top-10 ranking of its best overall performances.

Here’s the formula: I added a player’s Game Score (GS) metric (per Basketball Reference) for each game he played in the playoffs, divided that overall sum by the number of games they played to get an average GS and then multiplied the sum GS and the average.

In layman’s terms, I’m taking into account both the quality of a player’s performance and their team’s longevity in the playoffs. So while the fact that, say, P.J. Tucker played 23 games this postseason boosts his sum score, his average GS wasn’t high enough to get him considered. Also, I only took into account players that appeared in more than 10 games, so Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, LeBron James and more were left off the list despite strong numbers.

Deep breaths. Let’s hop into it.

Watch: Pat Connaughton gives interview to Dan Patrick

Want to hear Notre Dame’s newest NBA champion talk?

Shortly before taking part in the championship parade for his Milwaukee Bucks, Notre Dame product Pat Connaughton did some talking. Specifically, he came on Dan Patrick’s show via Zoom and spoke about his role in helping the Bucks win their first championship in 50 years. There is nothing about Notre Dame in this interview other than acknowledgments from Patrick of Connaughton’s alma mater at the beginning and of Connaughton’s previous life in which he juggled both basketball and baseball. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting conversation with him:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLuXOAEW5oA

Connaughton is in a good place with the NBA champions. He just completed the first year of a three-year contract that he signed with Milwaukee last offseason. Most of the Bucks’ roster is signed for next year, so the question is whether this team can repeat with an offseason lasting only two months and even less than that for Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, who are heading to Tokyo for the Olympics. If that happens, the story will get only better.

Playoff MVP Race: Giannis Antetokounmpo is the runaway No. 1

For the final time, HoopsHype ranks the top players in the playoff MVP race, headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo being named playoff MVP.

With the culmination of the campaign, the time has come for the final 2020-21 NBA Playoff MVP Rankings article of our ongoing series, where we ranked the Top 15 players in the postseason MVP race weekly.

It should come as no surprise whatsoever who finished at the top of the list, or the players who finished just behind him, as the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns were great all playoffs long and were led by their respective superstars to the Finals.

Below, check out the final part of our playoff MVP series, as voted on by our team of writers.

Eastern Conference Finals: Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks live stream, TV channel, start time, odds, how to watch the NBA Playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks will meet the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals from the Fiserv Forum on Thursday night.

The Atlanta Hawks will meet the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals from the Fiserv Forum on Thursday night.

The Hawks tied up the series with a 110-88 win over the Bucks in game four and they were without Trae Young. Atlanta’s head coach Nate McMillan pulled his team together and that was the best Hawks team wins all season long. As for the Bucks, they played half the game without Giannis and he is still questionable for tonight as they look to bounce back and take the lead in the series at home.

Can the Hawks keep up the momentum in Game 5? Tune in and find out, here is everything you need to know to catch the NBA action tonight.

Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks

  • When: Thursday, July 1
  • Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: TNT
  • Live Stream: Hulu (watch for free)

NBA Odds and Betting Lines

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (-2.5)

O/U: 214.5

Want some action on the NBA? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ, and WV at BetMGM.

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