On December 24, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and the Bucks challenged the Lone Ranger away. The Bucks scored just 15 points in the first quarter, trapped in the role of a catcher, and the Lone Ranger was overtaken by his opponent in the third quarter. The Lone Ranger fell into a mut in the final quarter, and with the performance of Middleton, Holliday and Cousins 20+, the Bucks beat the Lone Rangers 102-95 to win two consecutive games.
Field data
Bucks: Middleton 26 points, 5 boards and 7 assists, Holliday 24 points, 7 boards, 7 assists and 3 assists, Cousins 22 points, 8 boards and 4 assists, Connaughton 9 points and 8 boards
Lone Rangers: Brunson 19 points and 8 assists, Nilikina 14 points and 5 assists, Chris 13 points, Powell 12 points, Smith 12 points and 2 blocks, Brown 10 points and 13 boards
Star of the game: Cousins set a new high to help the Bucks win
In this campaign, Cousins once again set a new career high for the Bucks, cutting 20+, and his steady play on the inside line, together with Holliday and Middleton, formed a new triad to help the team win smoothly.
Highlights of this session
Tough kills under the basket! Holliday incarnates as a mini center
One-handed split! Brown cut in the air
Fly to the top opponent to the basket! Cousins dominates the basket
Buckle up on your back! Chris eats pie to take off
Go down to 2+1! Holliday connects Cousins
Game review
In the first quarter, Connaughton and Cousins scored five consecutive points, Powell sent a dunk, Cousins made two free throws, Middleton and Smith scored three points to give the Bucks a 9-5 lead. Brunson and Smith hit three consecutive points as the Lone Rangers rebounded. Then Pinson hit another three-pointer, Knight broke through, Moses Brown sent a dunk, and the Lone Ranger led 23-15 into the second quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Chris made a layup to open a 10-point gap, Matthews stopped bleeding on three points, Chris made a strong start, Middleton made two free throws and then singled successfully, and the Bucks chased to 22-27. Brown snatched a quick attack, Cousins responded with 2+1 and two free throws, Hill made a basket to hit, and the two sides fought to a 29 draw. Nilikina broke through the shot, Brunson threw in the middle, the Lone Ranger scored four consecutive points to tie, Nilikina rebounded with three points, Walla made a layup, Holliday returned the three-pointer, and the Bucks led 39-37. The Lone Ranger then took three points from a row to counter-attack, Middleton hit two free throws, Chris sent a dunk, Brunson hit a free throw, and the Lone Ranger led 43-41 into the second half.
In the re-fight, Smith hit two free throws, Powell played 2+1, Brown helped Powell fly, Brunson sent three points, and the Lone Ranger led 57-50. Middleton responded with three points, Powell hit a strong shot, then Holliday hit 2+1, and Nilikina quickly attacked into another three-pointer, giving the Lone Ranger a 67-58 lead. Cousins scored 2+1, Nilikina returned two free throws, Allen made a layup and sent three points, Holliday made a basket, Hill hit a layup, Holliday hit two free throws, and the Bucks blasted 13-2 to surpass 2 points. Chris tied the basket and made two more free throws, Middleton hit two free throws, and the Lone Ranger trailed 74-75 into the final quarter.
In the final quarter, Middleton sent a mid-range shot, Chris and Cousins sent each other a dunk, Cousins played under the basket, and the Bucks led by 5 points. Middleton hit a mid-range shot to give the Bucks an 83-76 lead. Brown returned the three-pointer, Matthews broke through, Brunson scored four straight points, and the Lone Ranger trailed for two points. Connaughton stopped the bleeding on three points, Brunson hit two free throws, then Smith hit a three-pointer and Vola hit a three-pointer to give the Bucks a 98-90 lead. Brunson hit a jumper and Connaughton hit a rebound to give the Bucks a 100-92 lead. The Lone Ranger then fell into a dud and repeatedly failed to shoot, and the Bucks struggled to win on the road.
Player ratings
Bucks: Holliday: 9.9, Middleton: 9.8, Connaughton: 9.6, Walla: 8.9, Cousins: 9.9, Allen: 8.9
Lone Rangers: Brunson: 8.7, Neelikina: 5.2, Sterling Brown: 6.4, Finney Smith: 5.7, Powell: 7.6, Chris: 9.7