2021 NBA Conference Finals champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, have taken a seemingly sluggish start to the 2022-’23 preseason. Being the first official game for both sides, Milwaukee fell victim to the Memphis Grizzlies in a close 102-107 match earlier this month, before once again lacking the ability to gain the upper hand on their opponents in the Atlanta Hawks just one week later.
However, the former champions were given the opportunity of redemption with an immediate rematch against the Hawks last night, Saturday, October 8, in which they could not follow through — the Bucks tallied their second loss against Atlanta at 109-118 and updated their preseason record to an uneasy 0-3.
Keeping in mind that Milwaukee’s star athlete, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was not on the floor for his squad’s most previous game, the team still managed to put up a valiant effort. An unselfish Bucks lineup allowed almost every player to earn an individual stat, transparently with the necessary assisting help from Jrue Holiday (4), Jevon Carter (4), and Sandro Mamukelashvili (4).
Trae Young scored the most points on the floor for both franchises (31), along with aiding his team in a necessary 6 assists and 1 rebound. Onyeka Okongwu and star center Clint Capella also gave outstanding all-around performances by combining for a well-earned total of 18 points, 6 assists, and 12 rebounds. With this win, the Atlanta Hawks are now 2-0 in the 2022-’23 preseason without showing any signs of slowing down.