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00:19Wednesday night hoops in 80-degree temps in Houston, Texas, in the Toyota Center.
00:25Both the Bucs and the Rockets on the second game of a back-to-back.
00:28Both the Bucs and the Rockets looking to pick up wins that they did last night.
00:34All right, so a shorthanded Milwaukee Bucs team, but still A.J. Green's going to suit up.
00:38Last night he had one of those 15-plus point games, 18 of those that he's had here this season.
00:4417 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists against the Dallas Mavericks.
00:48And this guy only gets better. He's like a fine wine.
00:51The career points, fifth just recently in NBA history in surpassing Michael Jordan.
00:56He did that about a week and a half ago, and that is one of the tall tasks, literally, that
01:01the Bucs are going to have to face here tonight.
01:03Welcome to Bucs basketball with the five-time All-Star Marcus Johnson.
01:06I'm Lisa Byneton, and Melanie Ricks is on the sideline here for us.
01:10All right, we celebrate the wins at this point, and the Bucs coming off the largest win of the season
01:15against Dallas here last night.
01:17And in large part, one of their best defensive efforts of the season.
01:20Yeah, it was just a great all-around performance, and look, as you mentioned, you know, you celebrate whatever kind
01:26of win you can get,
01:27especially here down the stretch, especially as shorthanded as this team has been.
01:32They did a great job in terms of collectively pursuing the basketball, making things tough, challenging shots inside.
01:39A couple of blocks by Miles Turner right there, and then offensively did a tremendous job sharing the basketball.
01:45Great hustle play by Kyle Kuzma right here on the chase-down block.
01:49But I just love the fact that they played with a great spirit, a great collective team spirit at both
01:55ends of the floor,
01:56sharing the basketball, playing R&D, and doing all the little things that Doc Rivers continues to preach.
02:01And so, and the Houston Rockets, right now they sit sixth in the West.
02:05There's an opportunity there to move up the standings, but Marcus, they have lived through Steven Adams, Fred Van Fleet
02:11injuries, they survived.
02:13A large part of that consistency is their defense as well here this year.
02:16Well, they rank number three in their half-court defense, and they're right behind Oklahoma City, right behind the Detroit
02:22Pistons.
02:23So this is a team that you've got to really, really execute your offense against, and then they do a
02:29great job in terms of offensive rebounding.
02:30So, they're a handful, they're a handful, it's going to take a great effort, a productive effort by the Bucs
02:35to win this game, but they can do it.
02:37The Bucs are going to be shorthanded once again here tonight, and maybe we'll see a lot more of this
02:43guy.
02:43We certainly saw some history from Alex Antetokounpro and his brother celebrating.
02:49Melanie will recap just a celebratory moment for the family last night.
02:53Coming up, Sports Network is brought to you by Frederick and the Medical College of Wisconsin, and by StubHub, the
03:00world's leading marketplace to buy and sell tickets to any event.
03:06And the Bucs are on the road as game two of a back-to-back, back-to-back Texas teams,
03:11but this time, taking on the Houston Rockets here in H-Town.
03:14Hi, everyone. I'm Melanie Ricks, and what an awesome game last night was.
03:19First off, because the squad got the win, hoping to get another one here on the road, but Alex Antetokounpro
03:25making his NBA debut and making history as well,
03:28because Giannis, Thanasis, Alex, they are the first trio in NBA history to appear on an active roster.
03:37And Alex didn't just make his NBA debut, also hit his first NBA bucket, as we saw there.
03:41Big bro Giannis Antetokounpro, he made sure to secure the game ball afterwards.
03:46And so now, that's four, count them, four Antetokounbros that have made it to the NBA.
03:51And Alex, he spoke to us, beaming ear-to-ear about what that debut felt like.
04:00Dream come true. Honestly, he just being, subbing in, it was kind of like, I was looking around.
04:06Obviously, being a kid, like, that grew up in Milwaukee, it was just kind of crazy.
04:10Because I've been to more Bucs games, I can never count, so to put on that jersey was amazing.
04:15Shout-out to my brother, obviously, he made it his mission to get that ball for me, so shout-out
04:20to him for sure.
04:22It's the second and final meeting between these two teams, and now it's time for the Young Bucs to try
04:27to stop the Houston Rockets.
04:28Can they make it happen?
04:29Line us some tip-off with Lisa and Marcus coming your way next.
04:34Listen, in this building, had a really big win last night against the New York Knicks, 111-94.
04:39I mean, holding the Knicks at 94 points is significant.
04:42Lisa Bynes and Marcus Johnson, Melanie Ricks with you.
04:46And the starting lineups here for both of these teams, the Bucs, we got a new one.
04:51They're only dressing seven, you heard me right, dressing seven players.
04:55And this is the 34th different lineup here for the Bucs.
04:58It's the 10th most lineups across the league that this franchise has used.
05:04It'll be Usman Jag, Pete Nance, Jericho Sims, Gary Trent Jr., and A.J. Green.
05:09With two sobs, Marcus, coming off the bench.
05:12Well, that's good news for Alex Indira Kupo, I would say.
05:16That's right.
05:17And C-Mac, quarterback Ryan.
05:19That's right.
05:19Don't leave him out.
05:20That's right.
05:21This is going to be our sixth man and seventh man here tonight.
05:25All right, so Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperin Shangoon, Amon Thompson.
05:29I mean, these are the guys that you expect to have Houston trot out there.
05:34And, you know, Reid Shepard has been a guy.
05:36He didn't start in the last game.
05:39It was Tari Eason who did, I think, to give him a little bit more hype.
05:42But Shepard is back now in the lineup.
05:44And that's something.
05:45I mentioned the injury to Fred Van Vliet.
05:47It's something that Houston has had to kind of adjust to that.
05:50But I heard you in the pregame talk about Shangoon.
05:52And they've used him a little bit more as a playmaker.
05:55Well, talking to Ryan Hollins, not Ryan Hollins, Ryan Hollins, the outstanding color commentator
06:01for the Rockets, he was talking about Shangoon.
06:04I was like, well, who's got the primary ball handling responsibilities?
06:09It's Alphi Shangoon, the center, is the guy that brings the ball up the floor.
06:12We saw him operate against the Bucks the first time around.
06:15So he's a handful already, and now he'll have even more of an opportunity to do things
06:20with the ball in his hands.
06:22Okay.
06:22So James Williams is our crew chief.
06:25Justin Van Dyne and Jenna Schroeder, our referee and umpire here tonight.
06:30The Houston Rockets, as I mentioned, six overall in the West.
06:33They come in with a 46-29 overall record.
06:36Milwaukee Bucks coming off their 30th win of the season, beating Dallas last night, 123-99.
06:46Might have to tip it up once again.
06:56Well, who's jumping center for the Bucks?
06:59It's Gary Trencher here, as you would guess.
07:04Would there be any question that GT2 would do that?
07:08I see Pete Nance, I see Jericho Sims on the circle.
07:21Well, we got Alex, we've got Ajax, we've got Cormac.
07:24So I guess technically three players here with Ryan Rollins.
07:26He did go out and warm up.
07:28Okay.
07:30I was, I was underselling the subs, I guess.
07:33Oh, we've got eight instead of seven.
07:35We've got eight instead of seven.
07:36Oh, boy, I can.
07:37No, that's much.
07:38That's more of a relief.
07:39Matt, I was a journalism major.
07:41Math was never my, uh, my strength.
07:44You're still majorly short-handed.
07:46That's right.
07:47And it's just in terms of experience, a couple of two-way guys.
07:50You've got C-Mac, Cormac Ryan, you know, you've got Alex, you've got Akupo,
07:53got his first NBA minutes last night.
07:57That was some good old-school execution by the Rocket.
08:00That was the old high-post duck move that UCLA used to run for years under John Wooden.
08:06And why is it called the duck move?
08:07Well, that, that weak side offensive player kind of ducks into the middle of the key
08:11in front of that defensive player after the high-post catches the basketball.
08:14I made a, made a living off of that at UCLA.
08:17And there's A.J.'s first shot at short.
08:24Off the hands there, Shen Kuhn.
08:26All right, so a gift goes right back here to the Bucs.
08:29The Bucs with that 13-24 road record.
08:32Houston is 26-10 here at home.
08:36Including that big win against the Knicks.
08:38They really jumped out against New York last night.
08:40Had a 37-point first quarter.
08:43Usman Chang ties it up at 2.
08:46Oh, no, an offensive foul.
08:47On Jericho Sims, his first.
08:49Yeah, wipe it away.
08:50A little movement on the screen, trying to free up Usman by Jericho.
08:55But that was a good win.
08:56Their, their offense, offensive rating, 127 per 100 possessions last night against the Knicks.
09:02The Knicks had had this.
09:03Started out slow against OKC.
09:05And then again, last night against Houston.
09:07The first points for Kevin Durant.
09:11They shoot that mid-range jumper as much as anybody in the league,
09:14especially since KD has been on board, Kevin Durant.
09:18Yeah, they average about 11-12 of those shot attempts per game.
09:26Kick ball.
09:29Someone taken out here from the sideline.
09:31Kevin Durant, I talked about, he just is like a fine line.
09:35Just keeps getting better and better.
09:36The, the stat that stood out to me, Mark.
09:38I mean, there's so many with him.
09:40He's 10th in scoring, but he's third in minutes played here this year.
09:44Yeah.
09:4537 years old.
09:4737 years old and keeps himself in impeccable condition during the offseason.
09:52Always ready to play and just has an appreciation for the game,
09:55especially after those couple of years where he had that Achilles injury that slowed him down
09:59and caused him to miss a lot of time.
10:01Yeah, he's played.
10:02This is his 73rd game here this year.
10:04AJ Green spots it up from three.
10:08And the Bucs first points here tonight.
10:11Stay aggressive.
10:12AJ's starting to, he's found that rhythm again.
10:14I'm not going to say starting to find it.
10:16He's already found it.
10:17So just, just make sure you keep using it.
10:19Bucs in a little two-three zone as could be expected being shorthanded in terms of personnel available.
10:25And the Bucs are not, they're a good three-point shooting team, but they don't shoot a lot of three
10:30-pointers.
10:32Gary Trent Jr., a little May Graves look.
10:35The Bucs will shoot a few of those as well.
10:39All right.
10:40Well, Kevin Durant made sure he knows, he knows the legend says, don't ignore me trying to get ready here.
10:45But I feel like I'm more distracted in this shot than, the point of showing that shot was Kevin Durant
10:52coming over to say hello to you.
10:53I thought it was like a ref or a trainer or something, but I knew from back in the day.
10:56I look up and it's, it's, it's, now I gave him, I gave him the Wooden Award, like when he
11:01was like a freshman at Texas, years and years and years ago.
11:04Well, he remembers that clearly.
11:06Yeah, exactly.
11:06He came up to you and he said, what's up, legend?
11:08Yeah, yeah, no, definitely.
11:10Yeah, I presented it to him, so not only a thrill for him being a winner, but a thrill for
11:14me to be able to present it to him.
11:16I mean, it's hard to project how good a guy's going to be, but how good did you think he
11:20was going to be back then?
11:21Well, I knew it was going to be good.
11:23Yeah.
11:23I didn't know he was going to be, like.
11:25Top five scoring good?
11:26He was going to be transformational in the history of the game good.
11:28Right.
11:29You know, that 23, 24 game, good years for him.
11:3320,000 points.
11:34He's on 32,000 and counting.
11:42Usman Jang, a couple of tween crossover moves.
11:47Jericho Sims gets the offensive rebound and draws the loose ball foul.
11:51No, it was right there.
11:52I mean, shot clock was winding down.
11:54I understand that, but he's got Reed Shepard.
11:556'2", trying to guard him.
11:57And so you do Reed Shepard a favor when you pull up on a step back three.
12:03Take it to a spot, get to the elbows, and then just use your 6'10 size to jump up
12:07and over, which he's really good at doing.
12:10Nice.
12:13The box has got good energy here to start.
12:15How many jump hooks have we seen Pete Nance deliver in the key after a couple of dribbles?
12:19That's a nice move for him.
12:21How many of those have we seen?
12:24Well, see, so I talked about Ooze taking 6'2", Reed Shepard for that mid-ranger.
12:28Kevin Durant just took 6'10", Ooze, to his spot for a mid-range jump shot.
12:34You found out a way in your basketball database.
12:36Look at that touch pass.
12:38That's a beautiful heads-up play there from Ahmed Thompson to set up Kevin Durant.
12:42And Doc Rivers now calls a timeout.
12:45Houston has doubled up the Bucs and the latest fast break points.
12:51Kevin Durant's got 6 of the first 10, including this latest bucket.
12:55Timeout for Milwaukee.
13:0010th against the Nets.
13:02Appreciation night presented by Clover.
13:04The first 10,000 fans receive a Bango bobblehead.
13:07Go to Bucs.com slash giveaways to get your ticket and get involved.
13:12It's a 10-5 advantage.
13:14The latest surge had forced the Doc Rivers timeout.
13:17We talk about eight available players here tonight.
13:21All of these guys absent.
13:24And Ryan Rollins did go out to warm up.
13:28But they waved him, scratched him, I should say, for tonight, for playing tonight.
13:33The significant part, I think, and Doc Rivers had talked about it,
13:36those veterans traveled here from Milwaukee to tonight.
13:40And this is just a one-off game, you know.
13:44It'd be easy for the vets to kind of stay home in Milwaukee,
13:47you know, do their own kind of routine and rehab and stuff.
13:50But Doc Rivers has said, these guys like each other.
13:52So they wanted to travel.
13:54They wanted to be the veterans.
13:55They wanted to be with their guys and cheer on their guys here from the sidelines.
13:58Yeah, it sounds like some money needed to be won back in the card game.
14:04Well, that's another good point.
14:08The off-the-court influence.
14:10Which is cool, which is what, you know, players do.
14:13They play cards.
14:14Now, back-to-back buckets now for the Bucs.
14:16Usman Chang with the latest.
14:17Good heartache, but no, you're absolutely right.
14:19I mean, just, and they worked out hard, like Giannis is out here,
14:22just dripping in sweat, getting his pre-game workout in.
14:26That's where it's to Nassus and other guys.
14:28Now, Reed Shepard with a three.
14:30The second three-point make here for Houston.
14:33He's got all two of them.
14:34He's two for two.
14:35Yeah, just under 40%, and that's what he does really well.
14:38There was some criticism about him being such a high draft pick,
14:41but he can fill it up in terms of pulling that jump shot on you.
14:46Reed Shepard, second-year player out of Kentucky.
14:49He's in the same draft class as, like, Ray Shachet.
14:51If you look at the draft class, it's actually kind of an interesting group of guys.
15:01Backdoor cut there for KD.
15:03Come on, A.J., just staying tall, staying vertical.
15:07And contesting that shot, gives it up to Jericho,
15:10who drives, takes the contact against Shingun.
15:14Coaching staff, players wanted a blocky foul on Shingun.
15:24Those were, I know that there was a play when he went at Giannis
15:28that really made you kind of open your eyes to who Alper and Shingun is.
15:33But that's when Giannis, you know, almost like the old Georgetown guards,
15:38Michael Jackson and Gene Spiff, like, slapped the ground defensively,
15:40like Giannis was mentally into stopping Shingun on that play.
15:44And he gave him the same kind of move.
15:46Hard drive left, spin back, and finish.
15:48And he's just so skilled and mobile for a guy his size and, you know,
15:53an all-star, 20-plus points a game.
15:55And it's just really, really been a pleasant find here for the Houston Rockets.
16:02There is Giannis here on the bench.
16:04He's cleaned up, not dripping with sweat anymore.
16:12But I'm with you.
16:13His pregame warm-up stuff has been impressive to watch.
16:18Trying to get healthy.
16:19Yeah, I was taking videos, sending them to Shiloh, my daughter,
16:21just in terms of just the rotation, how he finds the seams on the ball.
16:24But he was, I mean, he had a wet ball working in this very, very many three-point attempts.
16:34Gary Trent Jr. can't find it, at least on that possession.
16:38And their half-court defense is really tough to score against.
16:41Now, in transition, they're not as good.
16:42Efficiency-wise, they're defensively, like, ranked 20th.
16:47And KD for three, leaves it short.
16:49Look at Jericho just skying for the rebound.
16:52The push and look to get into some secondary transition stuff and get a shot up, AJ.
16:57Yeah.
16:58Behind the back pass to Jericho.
17:00Jericho's already got four rebounds here, by the way.
17:02Step-back move by Usman Chang.
17:04And that's what I was talking about with Reed Shepard on him.
17:07I mean, don't settle for step-back three-point shots.
17:10Get into that operational zone right around the free-throw line and just go up and over.
17:13He's 6'2".
17:14He cannot hang with you.
17:16He doesn't want to hang with you.
17:18He can do this.
17:20This is the shot there.
17:22Ah.
17:27Well, Usman Chang, we are slowly learning what's in his bag, and this is definitely a part of it.
17:31So Shepard goes underneath.
17:33You know, not showing a lot of respect for the range of Usman Chang.
17:37But get to your spot, bump him off, and right there, just go up and over.
17:41There's nothing, absolutely nothing he can do.
17:43It's almost like a free-throw for you, Usman Chang.
17:49Nice job, Gary Trent.
17:51Don't think the pillow.
17:53Yeah, the tie-in on the floor.
17:54Cormac Ryan, who's checked in the earliest in his NBA career, and he lets the three-point fire.
18:05All kinds of minutes for these guys.
18:08You mentioned Cormac Ryan.
18:09That is Tari Eason, and during that whole sequence, Gary Trent has stayed down at midcourt.
18:17Timeout is called, and we'll take a timeout with him.
18:22End of the bench.
18:23The nine-point deficit is the largest deficit for the Bucs here tonight.
18:27This is the GT2 injury.
18:29Got tangled up a little bit with Capella.
18:31Okay, so Hyper extends the knee, jams the hip there, and then comes down hard.
18:36Then...
18:37It's like almost three injuries in one play.
18:40Yeah.
18:41Possibly.
18:42Then right there, that scrum between Cormac Diamond and Clint Capella, that he may have
18:49done something to rib, side, hip, something.
18:52You know, I wasn't trying to manifest the seven if we had eight available, but, you know, the
18:57seven might now be the case.
18:59He's going to hit that stationary bike to see if he can work it out a little bit.
19:03Yeah, just trying to stay loose, loosen it up, and see if you can get back out there.
19:09But Alex Indira Kupo says, hey, I got you.
19:12I'll hold it down until you come back.
19:13That's right.
19:14At the top of your screen, the second career NBA game for Giannis and Thanasis' little brother.
19:20And a carrying call.
19:22That's interesting.
19:23You don't see that much in the league.
19:26Yeah, that was pretty obvious by Uza.
19:29He lost control of it and then tried to regain.
19:31By that time, his hand had got all out of position on the ball and really,
19:37really weird look at dribble that the official had to call something.
19:40Alex Antetokounmpo, you heard Melanie's report as we signed on the air.
19:44Just his excitement last night and getting his first taste of some NBA minutes,
19:48his first free throws.
19:49Maybe he'll get his first field goal here tonight.
19:52Certainly get some minutes, that's for sure.
19:54Get an opportunity.
19:56Tabari Smith with the miss.
19:58And Tari Eason just went right over, Alex.
20:02Keep that alive here for Houston.
20:04KD over to Eason.
20:06Well, Alex will know that and learn that this is not the G League.
20:10You can't get into a jumping contest with these guys.
20:12You've got to box out, put a body on them.
20:14That's a good point.
20:15You know, he thought he was just going to go up and secure that rebound inside.
20:18And Tari Eason got some really good athletes out here.
20:22A trial by fire.
20:23There you go.
20:24Pete Nance swats it away.
20:25And you see what happens when he's matched up against Jabari Smith.
20:30He puts his head down and tries to take him to the basket right away.
20:33And thank God for Sneaky Pete coming from the weak side to help him out.
20:41Unusual to think that Pete Nance is actually like one of the vets right now on the court with this
20:46group.
20:47There's Kevin Durant and a foul call.
20:54Well, KD mentioned at 37 years old, another year where he's averaging above 25 points per game.
21:07He's done it with the Thunder, the Warriors, the Nets, the Suns, and now the Rockets.
21:12If he can keep this up.
21:18Time now for a message from StubHub.
21:31You talk about NBA history.
21:33He's the only guy, if he can keep it up here this year, to average 25 or more with five
21:38different franchises.
21:40You know, Kawhi's done it with three.
21:42Kyrie, LeBron, Wilt also have done it with three different franchises.
21:48Half-jumper, real travel.
21:50Doesn't matter what the jersey is.
21:54He's going to put up the points.
21:56That is true.
21:57And at his size, I mean, 6'11".
22:01What do they have him listed at?
22:026'10", 6'11".
22:03So he looks closer to seven feet.
22:05But with that kind of skill package, I mean, man, he's just...
22:08I feel like some years he's seven feet, some years he's 6'10", 6'11".
22:12It's just impossible to guard.
22:14He's got the skills of a guard.
22:15I first saw him in Los Angeles with the Oak Hill High School team.
22:21And you could just tell he was going to be a stand-up player.
22:24Only 6'7", then, as a junior.
22:26He looked like a high-waisted Scottie Pippen type.
22:30I remember thinking.
22:31Right.
22:32He's so gangly like that.
22:34And he's got the touch, too.
22:37He just didn't realize that he went down to Texas as a freshman.
22:40And, again, he was the winner-ward winner, you know, the winner-ward winner as a freshman.
22:43That gives you an idea of the impact he had right away.
22:46Right there.
22:47Right there.
22:47Right there.
22:48Ajax with a miss.
22:50Capella, Capella, clears.
22:54Atari Youson, who was in the lineup against the Knicks last night, again, to add a little bit of height
22:58coming off the bench.
23:00That double-teamed to KD.
23:01He flips it over to Aaron Holliday.
23:03He knocks in the three-pointer.
23:05Aaron Holliday's been solid.
23:08He's given about 38% from the three-point line.
23:13His backup minutes coming off the bench.
23:17Usman Chang with another bucket.
23:20The Rockets just on this tear, a 28-4 run.
23:32Two minutes.
23:37Just seeing if you're paying attention, Marcus.
23:40It's a big run, I'll say that.
23:43Holliday with the miss.
23:49KD.
23:52KD flashback right here.
23:57Passes Michael Jordan.
24:00For fifth on the NBL times credit.
24:0232,000 points and counting is just a remarkable career for this young man.
24:09From the DMV.
24:12The District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
24:15Look at the guys who he's passed.
24:17Will for seventh.
24:18Dirk for sixth.
24:19MJ for fifth.
24:22I love the fact that he gave Michael Jordan credit though.
24:25He said, you know, MJ had to miss four seasons, right?
24:28And this one to baseball three years when he retired after the death of his father.
24:34And he said, you know what?
24:35If he had played those four seasons, because he had a career average of 29, 30 points per game.
24:41I'd still have a ways to go to pass him.
24:43And I love that he was giving them credit.
24:45Jericho Sims with the putback.
24:48Good aggressive play by Jericho inside.
24:51KD.
24:51Complaining to the official about that aggression.
24:55This young man with the ball here has been really good.
24:57He surprised me how well he scored.
24:59Almost 18 a game.
25:00I'm in Thompson.
25:00When brother Asar plays for the Pistons.
25:04Think of him as, like, defensive players primarily, but an average 18 in his league.
25:09Great two-way skills on his part.
25:23Crummick Ryan now, that's a nice move.
25:26Gets it to go.
25:27It's worth the whole defense for two.
25:29Yeah, good aggressive take by Crummick.
25:31I wasn't aware, didn't realize he's from New York City.
25:34He's a lower Manhattan kid.
25:36I was talking to him earlier today.
25:37Talked about he played in the Rutgers and the Dykeman League.
25:40The tough summer leagues in Harlem, New York.
25:44You know, Tom Crane said in our pregame, there was a rumor that his neighbor was Tom Brady.
25:50Okay.
25:51He never got that home visit.
25:54Tom Crane was looking for it when he was recruiting him.
25:56But, got to ask him that next time he talked to him.
26:02His neighbor in New York, or?
26:04Uh, out east, I think.
26:06Krep School.
26:06Yeah.
26:06Krep School, two years in Massachusetts.
26:08It may, yeah.
26:09It could very well have been.
26:11To fact check that.
26:14Sorry, he's in from the corner.
26:16That's the last shot of the corner.
26:21The box hanging around, hanging around.
26:2427 to 20.
26:26After the first 12 minutes.
26:28A.J. Green, one of the bright spots here for Milwaukee.
26:37Seven, Gary Trent Jr. out with that hip contusion.
26:39Which means guys like Cormac Ryan, gonna get a lot of time here tonight.
26:43Yeah, good job.
26:44C-Mac put his head down.
26:46Find a seam going to the basket.
26:48Then right here, the little tween and shovel inside to Pete Nance.
26:52Nice job.
26:53Just creating something out of, out of nothing for Cormac Ryan.
26:58Let's check in with Melanie Rex.
27:00Lisa Byington.
27:01So the guys, you know, you talked about how it's, it's funny that Pete seems to be the most veteran
27:06one out there as he brings the ball up the floor.
27:08And he was also acting like the vet in the huddle.
27:11Just continuing to tell his guys, keep those hands up.
27:14Darvin Hamm telling them, stay in between your man and the basket.
27:17And I have to say, every single guy in that huddle was talking, including the vets that are not suited
27:23up here tonight, Lisa.
27:24So they're definitely rooting for their young bucks and they're giving them all the coaching they can right now.
27:27I love it.
27:29They trail by as many as 15.
27:33And they trail by seven here.
27:35So putting up a fight.
27:38And still swinging against this really talented Houston Rockets team.
27:42Here's Ryan, jumps it off.
27:44Jericho Sims leaves it short.
27:47And they've gotten Shungun from behind.
27:49But, but another display of just, just good activity by Cormac Ryan.
27:53Just creating something, attracting three defenders in the key.
27:57And nice job dumping off the Jericho, who draws the foul.
28:02It's the second personal on Shungun.
28:06You've got to find somebody to get a piece of the paint.
28:08And with this lineup out here, the most viable candidates will be Cormac Ryan and Andre Jackson Jr.
28:14Collapse that defense.
28:19Time for a quick message from Landmark Credit Union.
28:23At Landmark Credit Union, banking made easy means managing your money anytime, anywhere.
28:29Whether you're courtside or couchside, our top rated app is a slam dunk.
28:44Bucks on a 9-0 run after Jericho splits the difference.
28:56Bucks.
28:56Bucks back in that, that 2-3 zone.
28:58You've got to, you've got to do a checkup on Jabari Smith, Shungun from the mid-range.
29:02But make, I'm in Thompson, shoot some shots if you can.
29:05Or a contested Shungun jumper could deep into possession.
29:10Ajax, a little hesitation.
29:13They're working this left side.
29:16They clear out.
29:17Pete Nance in the handoff to A.J. Green.
29:19He'll fire from distance.
29:23It's about as good a shot as you're going to get on that possession.
29:25The spacing was poor initially, as you mentioned, before they cleared out.
29:30And a foul on the Thompson take.
29:33That situation, there was contact.
29:35The official waiting to see, is it enough contact to make the offensive player,
29:39to disrupt his rhythm, balance, and speed.
29:43And the way he shot that, he was definitely disrupted.
29:46I'm in Thompson.
29:48First personal to A.J. Green since Thompson to the free throw line.
29:52One team foul each for each of these teams here in this quarter here so far.
29:59I'm in Thompson has had the best, now that we're in the first day of April.
30:03He's had the, his best month has been March.
30:06Averaging almost 20 points, 58% from the field.
30:10Eight and a half rebounds in the month of March.
30:14Yeah, he's a guy that just shoots 22% from the free throw, from the three point line.
30:18So all his stuff is like offensive rebound.
30:20Going to the basket, mid-range floaters.
30:23Got really good, good dribble skills.
30:27To get to where he wants to go, both he and his brother.
30:31Asar Thompson with Detroit.
30:33They made history in their draft class.
30:37First time brothers picked top five in the same draft.
30:42Thompson kicks it out.
30:44Smith.
30:45And Thompson's averaging five, over five assists against.
30:48And it also kind of caught me by surprise just in terms of his playmaking acumen.
30:54They've done a good job building this team.
30:57Here's Smith.
30:59Raphael Stone, the guy that's responsible for those personnel decisions, has done a masterful job of kind of piecing this
31:07together.
31:07I can remember two or three years ago talking to Ryan Hollins, their color guy.
31:11And then they were, you know, they were down at the bottom.
31:14It was just a tough season to get through.
31:16And now here we are two or three years later and we've got it going on.
31:20I also remember though just how competitive they were, right?
31:23Yeah.
31:24And how athletic that they were.
31:26Usman Jang, that's a tough shot.
31:27He goes glass.
31:29You could see the beginnings of something that was happening here even a few years ago.
31:34And you wonder like, okay, so to pick up a Kevin Durant at this stage of his career, like a
31:3817 deal or some kind of major, major transaction.
31:42There's that mid-range shot.
31:44Yeah, an NBA sort of history-making deal involving the 17's blockbuster trade.
31:51And meanwhile, the Rockets over a five-minute field goal drought.
31:55So an opportunity here for the Bucks to take advantage if they want it.
31:58Ajax!
32:00Nice rainbow shot from distance for three.
32:02He's been good from that side of the floor right around that area between the break line and the corner
32:06on the left side is his sweet spot shooting that three.
32:09Ajax!
32:10Watch Ajax, little light jab going to the middle.
32:14You're not going to honor me?
32:15You better honor me.
32:16I'm going to knock this down.
32:17If you don't-
32:17Truly change things for these two teams.
32:20A 14-2 run has narrowed the cap to three points.
32:24We go inside the play brought to you by Prater and the Medical College of Wisconsin bringing down the latest
32:28bucket.
32:28Well, watch Andre Jackson Jr. and how this team is going to make him prove he can knock this shot
32:33down.
32:33As you see the pass here.
32:34Look at Shingun right here.
32:36He's not-
32:39Anyway, he's not going to honor him.
32:41I can't find my yellow arrow, but freehand solid.
32:44There we go.
32:44He got it.
32:45And the other defender is not going to contest that shot.
32:49So it's almost like they're abating him to show that he can knock down.
32:52They shoot 26%, 12 of 47 going into that shot.
32:56But at the same time, he's had seasons where he's kind of flirted with 40% or right around there
33:01from the three-point line.
33:02So it's good to see him take that shot in that situation.
33:05I know what you were trying to do.
33:07You put one, two, three up there because the shot was worth three points, right?
33:11It was an elevated telestration on your part.
33:16Good try.
33:17Good shot.
33:19You got to give you another shot at it.
33:21You got three hands on it, circle wheels, circle number eight.
33:24You got too many choices.
33:26I've got to figure out how to work this big.
33:28Oh, man, Thompson.
33:28Nice job with the pass.
33:30Fake to Javari.
33:31Spence in the corner.
33:31The Bucks bite.
33:33Thompson with the easy, uncontested layup.
33:37That ended over.
33:38It was six minutes.
33:39So like 6.05 was the field goal drought for Houston before that.
33:44A.J.'s had some really good looks.
33:46He's knocked down, I think, one.
33:47But these are shots that are very makeable for A.J. Green.
33:51Andre Jackson goes right into the hands of Shin Coon.
33:55Forces a turnover.
33:58Bucks have turned it over seven times here in the first half.
34:01Trying to do too much, Drake.
34:02You get in there.
34:04You get the defense that collapsed.
34:05Now you got a bevy of shooters on that weak side.
34:10Maybe it's not your pass.
34:11Maybe it's the hockey assist.
34:12But you got to get rid of that.
34:14A.J.'s Isett, eight!
34:15Bucks, nine, eight.
34:16Tabari Smith can't get it.
34:17An opportunity here for the Bucks.
34:19Usman leading the break.
34:22Good hands.
34:23Shepard has it.
34:24A.J. that's a good play.
34:27He's a reason why he's one of the top guys in this steals category and it you
34:38know kind of penciled him as a disappointment after
34:40one thing that ticks off the coach more than anything is just you know nice play
34:53about Usman and then no one covers his man at the other end for the
34:58incandescent Dunford Thompson. How about Usman not from distance? Usman Chang is 0 for 3 from 3.
35:06He's the first buck to get to double figures 10 points here so far.
35:12Now he's got five rebounds to go with his 10 points three assists and AJ stepped on
35:22the sideline this one yeah so this with authority and no one stops the
35:32basketball no reason to pick up the dribble maybe not look at it now maybe
35:38another opportunity but that was a really good display of his athleticism
35:43playoff. Spent three years at the NCEP Academy in France working on his game
35:53going to school. 14 to 17 years old.
35:57Well you certainly see the talent of why he was drafted 11th overall just buried on that OKC roster.
36:03He took me an NCEP they said he played against like Division 3 French
36:07league men when they were 14 years old. See right there? Yeah he splits the difference.
36:12That's a thing of beauty. They're grown adults. He was playing against at 14 years old and you know that
36:18can't help but accelerate your development it'll either accelerate your development or just turn you off the basketball.
36:23One or the other. One or the other. Playing against these rugged old guys. Fouling you hard. Talking trash.
36:33Quick hands there by AJ. Got a loose ball foul. A blocking foul. Against a charging Josh Okunke.
36:41Watch who's nobody gonna stop the ball. And that's a great like high rip through to split two defenders. And
36:49they had a notion to stop the basketball but he just made a terrific play to
36:53it. And he's so long and his stride is so long at 6'10".
37:00The Steel one of four. 10 game plans are now available for the 26-27 season. It's called The Steel.
37:07It's good matchups at an unbelievable value with tickets starting at $25 per game. Go to bucks.com slash partial.
37:15That's a steal. That is a steal. Give these young bucks credit Lisa. They're hanging in there. They're competing. You
37:23mentioned that drought that they went through that the Rockets had that six minute plus. And that score and run.
37:29And I'll say this.
37:31We go back to the free throw. Jericho. A foul. I assume. No.
37:37No. It's a foul on Smith.
37:41Okay.
37:42But what I was gonna say is we've seen the reverse. Right? Where the Bucs have actually played a short
37:50-handed roster so to speak.
37:53And have not played up to their standards. Right? I mean, I think of Denver twice. And maybe this is
37:59something that the Bucs can get the advantage of here against this Houston team.
38:02As Pete Nance, as I'm saying that, knocks down the three-pointer.
38:05And as we talked about with Andre Jackson Jr., you know, you did your job by getting into the key
38:09and collapsing the defense.
38:10Now don't overdo it by trying to finish inside. Kick it out to your shooter. Pete Nance right there waiting.
38:18A back-cutting Okoge. And they've got Ajax in the air. They found something on that back line there. Cutting
38:25baseline.
38:25They've done that on two or three occasions. And it's been open another two or three occasions where they haven't
38:31delivered the pass.
38:34Format Ryan with the kickout. That's a three-pointer for Ajax.
38:38Not that side, Dre. The other side. The other side. Left side, bro.
38:43Deep one. Sheffield.
38:46Who can do that?
38:48Who would in a hurry?
38:49It's almost 40%. Just a shade below that here for the season.
38:54But over 200 three-point makes. And that was a deep one.
38:5832 feet. Timeout, Milwaukee.
39:04The players now down to seven. Usman Chang is leading the way for Milwaukee with 12 points.
39:10Here are the numbers that matter brought to you by Havish Havish and Routier.
39:15Yeah, you see what he's putting up. That's an exceptional outing for him and still a lot of basketball left
39:22to be played.
39:22And I like the fact that he's done it in a variety of ways attacking the basket for dunks and
39:29taking it in fourth court for dunks and pulling up over Reed Sheppard when he's had the mismatch.
39:38Now Usman Chang has definitely been a gift here for the Bucks involved in the three-team trade with Milwaukee
39:47and Phoenix and Chicago.
39:52And in the minutes he's had at OKC, I think he had a 20-plus point game against us once
39:57or something.
39:57I mean, he's actually looked really good.
39:59And he just kind of fell victim to the Jalen Williams complex.
40:06You know, Jalen Williams coming out of Santa Clara, who knew he was going to be an all-star.
40:10And Usman was kind of penciled in to that position as the 11th pick in the draft by Sam Preston.
40:15Yeah, and Chet Holmgren were at number two with OKC.
40:18OKC had four draft picks there.
40:19So it was like Chang at 11, Jalen Williams stayed up at 12.
40:22And then the other Jalen Williams, you know, further down at about 34.
40:26I mean, Shepard gives it up over to KB, above the great shot.
40:36Oh!
40:37Akogi with the throwdown.
40:47Here's AJ.
40:53Largest lead has been 15.
40:56Reficent now sits at 11.
41:02Akogi with that backdoor cut.
41:04That backdoor has gotten the Bucs all night long.
41:07Akogi, they're going to let him shoot that three, and he makes the three.
41:11He's a 40% shooter for the season.
41:13He got the Bucs in a blender defensively, got them in rotation.
41:16But I love what Carmichael Ryan was doing.
41:19I mean, he was so active.
41:21He couldn't cover every spot, but quite nearly did on that possession.
41:26Akogi, whose minutes have gone down, is really asserting himself here tonight.
41:33And Chang from midrange.
41:35Now he's got 14 points.
41:36Get to your spot, use your size, and that incredibly soft shooting touch, and make plays.
41:48Could be a big night for Usman.
42:01AJAX back to AJ.
42:03Oh, shoot it, AJ.
42:04That's in your range.
42:05That logo range.
42:08Shoot it, AJ.
42:10Come on, AJ.
42:14Packet pass, Pete Nance, Ajax, kickball.
42:19Akogi, you know, tallying the minutes here tonight.
42:22He's been aggressive.
42:23Got to box out.
42:24You know, you got to, he's an athletic player.
42:27Especially, give him a runway running start.
42:30That vertical leap goes up another three or four inches as opposed to the standstill.
42:35And you saw it on display, every inch of it right there.
42:39Akogi's a guy, 29 starts this year, 43 times off the bench.
42:44AJ, can't hit it.
42:46Cormac Ryan, offensive rebound and putback, showing things.
42:50His second bucket of the night.
42:53Almost expect him to give that hand gesture.
42:55Too small, Reed Shepard.
42:58He's just up and over, Reed Shepard.
42:59He's like the only guy he could give that to.
43:02Oh, Reed Shepard.
43:03He spoke too soon.
43:05Pulling out the tape measure.
43:07He's got another deep one.
43:08Yeah, just, you know, son of Jeff Shepard, former Atlanta Hawks, another Kentucky great.
43:13But just, just good to see him find his footing in the league after, you know, a lot of people
43:17labeled him as a, as a bust, as a early draft pick last year.
43:21He was picked so high.
43:23He's got a 32-footer.
43:24That, that's recently a 29-footer for Reed Shepard.
43:30He's working through some hand issues himself right there, but it didn't look like he was
43:34having any problem getting rid of that, that jumper from 30-plus feet out.
43:39I mentioned that 2024 draft class where you talk about he was drafted third.
43:43Reed Shepard was number one overall.
43:44Alex Sarr, number two.
43:47You know, Klingon, your guy who you liked a lot, was in that draft class.
43:50He was, what, seven?
43:51Yeah, Klingon was seventh.
43:53Yeah, to the trailblazers.
43:55Say hello to Calvin Murphy.
43:56You're looking all pretty and pink over here.
43:59Tell him that you've got a job to do.
44:00You've got to work.
44:01Yeah.
44:01Don't trip me.
44:02Don't trip me, Cal.
44:08Well, there's that offensive rebounding, and so Stephen Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Stephen
44:12Adams has been out for quite a while, but they still are one of the premier offensive rebounding.
44:17They kind of started that thing of attacking the offensive glass before it transitioned,
44:22and, man, they've really done it on a high, high level.
44:28Usman.
44:29It's a travel game.
44:30Yeah, they give it up, yeah.
44:32Almost was able to put it off, pull it off.
44:34They're trying to split a seam, but the foot touched the ground before he was able to pass
44:39the basketball.
44:43Deficit is 12.
44:44Again, the largest deficit has been 15 here tonight, but as we've talked about, this Bucs
44:49team, they lost Gary Trent.
44:50They started with eight players, lost Gary Trent to a hip contusion, and they're now down
44:55to seven players the rest of the night.
44:58They're putting up a fight.
45:00Good job, Cormac, again, but the offensive, the offensive rebounds, his team is one of
45:05the tops, and the offensive rebound percentage and second chance points out of it.
45:11They get about 38 to 39 percent of their offensive rebounding chances, the first in the NBA.
45:18They got nine here tonight.
45:23Usman, he has a great job, all those hands, and then to get the finish.
45:27So that ball was deflected, which means it was misdirected.
45:31It's a peak, just a nice job to even just pull that in and then to be able to finish
45:35off
45:36to play on top of it.
45:38Just a really good job by him.
45:42And a double-dribble call.
45:43So we got a carrying call here in the first half, and a double-dribble call.
45:48I'm just going to expect to see these officials from the 60s out here, Richie Powers and Joe
45:52Geshu, and it's just so my old guy.
45:56A flashback.
45:58Darrell Garrison.
45:59Good guy.
46:01Pulled in stuff from the 70s.
46:03James Williams, Dustin Van Dyne, and Jenna Schroeder taking us back.
46:08Usman.
46:09Nice, nice, nice.
46:10That's a great move.
46:11Yeah, off of the soft touch, 16 points now for Usman Chang.
46:15Wouldn't surprise me if one of the coaches got his ear and said, man, look, you got an eight-inch
46:18size advantage over Reed Shepard, take him to the basket, don't settle for step-back three-point
46:23shots against him with that kind of size advantage.
46:25He's only six off of time, his career high at 22 points.
46:29Got it in 2023 against Memphis.
46:37Thompson challenging this defense off the mark.
46:40And the final few seconds, Usman has it.
46:43Here's A.J. Green.
46:44Come on, A.J.
46:45Pulls from the logo.
46:50Well, the deficit is 10.
46:54Really impressive first half here for all these guys who are running primarily with seven guys.
47:00Coming up at the half, powered by UW Credit Union.
47:03And the young bucks, they are.
47:04They're just hanging around.
47:06And a conversation Melanie Ricks will have with Greg Butner, assistant coach and defensive guru here coming up.
47:13All right, give credit to these guys.
47:15They are playing hard and challenging this Houston Rockets team.
47:19Trailing here in Houston only by 10.
47:25Defensive coordinator Greg Buckner.
47:26Coach, your team is down 10 right now, shorthanded to say the least.
47:30What are you liking the most, though, about your guys?
47:32Well, they're fighting and they're competing.
47:34They're playing together.
47:34They're trying to do the things that we're asking them to do.
47:36Right now, we've got to clean up the transition defense.
47:38If we cut that out and cut out their second chance points, we're probably winning the game.
47:43Well, and in the team huddles, it's so spirited.
47:45All of the guys are really good.
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