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The Golden State Warriors were run off the court by the Milwaukee Bucks, as Kris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo proved to be one of the NBA's top duos. Despite seven first-half turnovers, the 2019-20 playoffs' top seed dominated the Warriors through all four quarters, winning 138-99.
Both the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks were coming off losses in their season openers and were hoping to bounce back. The Warriors are still short-handed, playing without Draymond Green, who is out with a foot injury. This meant the second overall pick – James Wiseman – earned another start at center for Golden State.
As another exciting NBA Christmas Day tilt has wrapped up, let's look at five key talking points from the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks Dec. 25 matchup.
No. 5 - The Golden State Warriors have a wing problem
With the Golden State Warriors losing Klay Thompson for the second straight season, the Warriors lack of depth and talent on their wings is concerning. The starting shooting guard and small forward for the Warriors are Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr.
The two of them struggled in the season opener against the Brooklyn Nets, where they combined for 19 points on just seven-of-30 shooting. Today, their shooting was even worse as they failed to make a 3-pointer, going zero-for-nine from behind the arc.
No. 4 - Kris Middleton continues to dominate for the Milwaukee Bucks
Kris Middleton has started the season on a tear. In the opening game against the Boston Celtics, he scored 27 points on 50 percent shooting and recorded 14 rebounds.
Today, Middleton was unconscious throughout the game, notching up his performance from the season opener with 31 points on 66.7% shooting. If the All-Star forward can continue his proficient scoring, then the Bucks will not need to be so dependent on Giannis and can win games on the nights their two-time MVP cools off, like they did tonight.
No. 3 - Golden State Warriors' James Wiseman proves he is the real deal against the Milwaukee Bucks
The rookie is NBA ready, showing out once again as the Golden State Warriors went against the Milwaukee Bucks.
If there is one good thing that may come out of this season for the Golden State Warriors, it is that their second overall draft pick, James Wiseman, has turned out to be a stud.
In Wiseman's first start in the NBA, he put up 19 points against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.
Today, the rookie continued to show his potential on the court with 18 points – including three of four from 3-point range – and eight rebounds.
No. 2 - Stephen Curry's shooting struggles continue for the Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will try to put this game behind them as soon as possible. The two-time All-Star has had a rough start to the season, shooting just 20% (two of 10) in back-to-back games from behind the arc.
Curry clearly does not have much help from his supporting cast, but his play is nowhere near the level of play he is capable of. The six-time All-Star will need to get back into his shooting form, or else the Warriors are in for a long season.
No. 1 - Giannis Antetokounmpo's shooting is still a liability for the Milwaukee Bucks
Despite the 39-point win over the struggling Golden State Warriors, the Milwaukee Bucks will continue to have a ceiling of the Eastern Conference semifinals unless Giannis Antetokounmpo can gain a consistent jump shot.
In the two games after Giannis signed the NBA’s most lucrative deal ever – five-years for $228.2 million – he has missed a game-tying free throw in the final seconds of the season opener and today went just four of 14 from the field.
If the Milwaukee Bucks are to take the next step and reach their goal of winning an NBA championship, they must rely on Antetokounmpo's ability to gain confidence in his jump shot.
Guess the Lakers players!
