San Antonio vs. Milwaukee, final score: Spurs blown out by more accurate Bucks, 105-121

San Antonio’s second leg of a four-game trip was doomed by two extended runs in the first and second quarters by a hotter Bucks team. In a dominant first half in which his team went up by 19, Giannis Antetokounmpo was content to set up Brook Lopez and little-scouted AJ Green as the Spurs wilted under the three-point barrage. The Spurs again relied on their crafty veterans – Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes – to keep the worn team in the game in the second half, but San Antonio failed to find a consistent third scorer in tonight’s loss.

San Antonio, missing Jeremy Sochan (back), saw Victor Wembanyama (10 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks) suffer a rare ineffective game and was picked up by Keldon Johnson (24 points and 11 rebounds) off the bench, Paul (18) points , 7 assists and 5 rebounds) and Barnes (14 points), with little impactful production elsewhere.

Milwaukee, with six players in double figures, was led by a well-rounded Antetokounmpo performance (25 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists). He received balanced production from the rest of the Bucks’ top linemen, including Brook Lopez (22 points and 7 rebounds), Damian Lillard (26 points and 8 assists) and Green (14 points).

Observations

• To our Southern California Pounders, hoping you are okay and out of harm’s way.
• Victor Ease: Midway through the first period, Wembanyama sidestepped Lopez, then went straight at Antetokounmpo and unleashed an acrobatic layup under Giannis’ arms with enough English to drop ever-so-softly through the hoop.
• Exactly Charles Bassey floats? I take 2 or 3 per play please.
• In Sandro Mamukelashvili’s action, he got four points in garbage time.
• At one point late in San Antonio’s horrific second quarter, the in-arena music caused the ESPN broadcast camera to vibrate noticeably.
• The order of the game #1: In the first minute of the second half, Wembanyama fed Castle in the lane and he extended a pass to an open Harrison Barnes for a whistle.
• Game order #2: After an errant Barnes jumper in the fourth, Keldon Johnson stepped in for a one-handed slam.

Play Rundown

In the first 90 seconds, Antetokounmpo tried to test Barnes’ baseline and was beaten away by Wembanyama. Wembanyama then made his “Flamingo 3” seconds later. Castle threw down another ferocious one-handed dunk, but Lopez knocked down two alarming open threes. The teams had good shooting opportunities in the first half of the frame. Milwaukee staged a 12-2 run around Middleton’s threes, Green’s pair of threes and Antetokounmpo buckets. Despite those fireworks, Julian Champagnie’s two threes of his own helped San Antonio stay within four.

Champagnie continued where he left off in the second period with a straight three. A charge called on Keldon Johnson was overturned when Middleton was not set. Spurs’ output died down over a painful handful of minutes with Johnson’s float the only score. Threes by Lopez (4th) and Green (5th) put the Bucks up 19 at the half.

San Antonio generated a 14 point burst in the first three parts of the third with an assertive Paul hitting two threes – again finding his stroke when the team needed it. Barnes’ free throw brought the Spurs within ten instantly. Milwaukee had an answer for every San Antonio run. Barnes’ three made it a 10-point game again, which was answered by an Antetokounmpo and-1. In response to another Bucks’ push, Paul’s three shaved the deficit to eight. The Spurs went for fourth down 13.

Please visit for the Bucks fan’s perspective Brew Hoop.

San Antonio’s road trip continues (depending on the status of the ongoing wildfires in Southern California) Saturday night at 9:30 a.m. CDT for a two-game miniseries against Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers.