Behind 31 points from Kevin Durant and a decisive Alperen Sengun, the Houston Rockets overcame the Milwaukee Bucks (122-115) despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's 37 points.
The Bucks will be able to kick themselves. Because whilst Kevin Durant is perfect at the start of the match to launch the Rockets, it is Milwaukee who take control from the end of the first quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is nevertheless quiet and it is his lieutenants, starting with Myles Turner, who feed the scoreboard. Cole Anthony brings energy off the bench and whilst the Greek Freak begins his work, Doc Rivers' troops take up to a 14-point lead (49-35) in the second quarter.
Pressed high and hard, the Rockets lose many turnovers, which they compensate for with numerous offensive rebounds.
Struggling against the physical impact of the Bucks' defenders, Reed Sheppard nevertheless proves he has quite a wrist, and the Rockets remain within range (61-50) at half-time.
Houston rely on Durant to stage comeback
Houston rely on Kevin Durant to get back into the game, whilst the Bucks for their part lean on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two men dominate proceedings in the third quarter, but the Rockets gradually eat into their deficit. Even though their offensive play often appears quite static.
The problem is that the Bucks' play froze, with the Wisconsin team settling for waiting for their superstar's exploits. Against the physical density of their opponents, it was too much to ask, and Houston manage to make the difference, with Alperen Sengun waking up strongly in the final stages to complete the heist (122-115) with an and-one.
Milwaukee Bucks Myles Turner puts up a shot as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant look on
Key takeaways
Turnovers versus offensive rebounds. The battle of possession was played differently on both sides. The Bucks thus put heavy pressure on Amen Thompson, whose dribbling still needs improvement, and on Reed Sheppard, who does not like being jostled. Enough to provoke numerous turnovers (17) and be able to run, whilst Kevin Durant was also disrupted by Milwaukee's aggressive double-teams. Enough to considerably hinder the Rockets' offensive setup, who compensated by grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.
Giannis versus KD. With his 31 points on 11/15 shooting, Kevin Durant did what Kevin Durant does, carrying his team when it needed him most. Opposite, Giannis Antetokounmpo was not poor either with 37 points on 14/25 but the Bucks are much more dangerous when he is not the only offensive solution.
Alperen Sengun's finale. The Turk saved the best for last. Rather a spectator to the show offered by the two superstars, it was nevertheless he who made the difference in the final two minutes, with a little hook shot at the right time against Giannis Antetokounmpo, then an and-one after resisting the Greek Freak's pressure across the entire court. Final tally: 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
This article was originally published on Basket USA.
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