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Three takeaways from the Hornets 127-119 win over shorthanded Bucks

Asher Low
·2 min read

With no Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, or Khris Middleton, the Charlotte Hornets took advantage in Milwaukee for their second win in a row.

The Bucks weren’t the only team missing their stars, as Charlotte came away with a 127-119 win despite missing LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward who are both missing extended time due to injury.

Once again, it was unexpected offense from Charlotte’s supporting cast and balance that carried the Hornets. Five Hornets players scored at least 18 points, with Miles Bridges’ 26 points leading the charge. The Bucks simply lacked the offensive output to keep pace without their stars.

Here are three takeaways from a win that sent Charlotte to 27-24 on the year while dropping the Bucks to 32-30:

Miles Bridges acted as the unexpected offensive leader, and the Hornets needed it

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Without LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward, and even missing bench scorer Malik Monk, Hornets coach James Borrego has preached a "next man up" mentality. That's exactly what Miles Bridges was on Friday evening.

A player that has struggled with being a reliable source of offense throughout his young career was there when his team needed him most. Bridges was an efficient 8-13 from the field, providing 4 made threes to make up for missing pieces.

Without one of their best individual scorers, the Hornets shared the wealth

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Without one of their best offensive weapons in Gordon Hayward and their best passer in LaMelo Ball, the Hornets still managed to play team basketball on the offensive end. Charlotte had six players with at least 4 assists, with Brad Wanamaker leading the way at 7. The Hornets finished with 35 assists compared to Milwaukee's 23.

Sure the Hornets had good defensive moments, but this was more about the Bucks personnel

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While Charlotte certainly came in energized on the defensive end, the Bucks missing their big three helped things look cleaner. Without their main offensive weapons, the Bucks had to turn to youth. Jordan Nwora, a second round pick out of Louisville had one of the lone great offensive nights as he finished with 24 points and 6 rebounds while being a +12. The Bucks didn't have enough offensive balance to maintain pace.

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