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0 Milwaukee Bucks cruised past short-handed Charlotte Hornets 120-84 on Friday night to send the Hornets to their 10th straight loss. The game was marked by the exceptional performance of Malik Beasley, who made seven 3-pointers on nine attempts and finished with 21 points for Milwaukee. The victory was also significant for Doc Rivers, who won his 1,099th regular-season game and moved into eighth place on the NBA’s list.
The Bucks, who improved to 2-5 under Rivers, set a dominant tone early in the game, and led by 28 points at halftime. Milwaukee’s defense was impressive, limiting Charlotte to just 17 points in the first quarter, and the Hornets shot just 34.2% from the field (27 of 79) overall. The Bucks increased their lead to as many as 42 in the second half.
Damian Lillard returned from a two-game injury absence and scored 26 points, shooting 9 of 18 and adding eight assists in 29 minutes. Lillard had missed the previous two games – both losses – with a sprained left ankle but showed no ill effects on Friday and said he felt good. He was delighted with the way the Bucks played defense and praised Doc Rivers for challenging the team to be more physical.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points and 15 rebounds in just 24 minutes, while Bobby Portis added 18 points and seven rebounds. Brandon Miller and Nick Richards each scored 16 points for the Hornets (10-41), who had just 10 available players and used all of them after making several moves at the trade deadline on Thursday.
Beasley’s performance was exceptional, and he broke a Bucks franchise mark set by Ray Allen during the 2001-02 season. It was the 13th game this season that Beasley made five or more 3-pointers. Beasley had struggled from 3-point range against Minnesota on Thursday, going 0 for 9 in the Bucks’ lopsided loss to the Timberwolves. However, he was in top form against the Hornets and shot 5 of 6 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Milwaukee made 12 of 28 shots from 3-point range in the first half, and Beasley led the way with 15 points while Portis had 13, Antetokounmpo 12, and Lillard 11. The Bucks finished 18 of 52 from 3-point range (34.6%).
Veteran guard Patrick Beverley made his Bucks debut after being acquired in a trade with Philadelphia on Thursday. He checked in to a loud ovation with 2:28 left in the first quarter and drilled a 3-pointer from the corner on his first shot. He finished with six points and four assists in 12 minutes. Beverley was acquired to help bolster the Bucks’ perimeter defense, which has struggled to stop opposing guards this season.
The Hornets were depleted after making several deals at the trade deadline, including acquiring Seth Curry and Grant Williams from Dallas on Thursday. Curry and Williams were scheduled to join the team in Charlotte, where the Hornets will play Memphis on Saturday night.
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