Milwaukee Bucks 116 - 120 Houston Rockets: Player Ratings as Westbrook comes through with a clutch performance
The Milwaukee Bucks suffered what can be considered as a surprise loss to the Houston Rockets on the night. Fancied by oddsmakers and experts alike for the game, an early lead for the Wisconsin team was neutralized by the Rockets, who held an 8-point lead at halftime.
The Milwaukee Bucks clawed their way back into the game and took the lead through Giannis and Brook Lopez in the 3rd and 4th quarters. But the Houston Rockets executed better on defense down the stretch and took home a deserved W on the night. Read further to find our analysis of the players' outings:
Milwaukee Bucks Player Ratings
Donte DiVincenzo - 6/10
The youngster displayed his characteristic energy through the game as a starter, but saw few minutes in the 4th quarter. He will feature more for the Milwaukee Bucks till Eric Bledsoe comes back.
Wesley Matthews - 4/10
The veteran swingman did not have a good game. He didn't connect on any of his 6 3-point attempts except for 1, and he picked up some really ticky-tacky, needless fouls.
Khris Middleton - 8/10
The second-time All Star has been a huge part of the Bucks offense over the last 3 seasons, and today he underlined just how much they're reliant on him. With 28 points and 12 rebounds, he had a great outing, but will be regretting going cold in the 4th quarter when the Milwaukee Bucks needed him most.
Giannis Antetokounmpo - 8/10
With his second 30 point, 15 rebound game since the NBA restart, Giannis put his stamp on the game today as well. But the MVP favourite would have definitely traded this statline for a mediocre one and taken the W for the Milwaukee Bucks instead.
Brook Lopez - 7/10
The 12-year veteran had a field day for the Milwaukee Bucks. Getting force-fed in the 4th quarter as they looked to cut into the Rockets' lead, Lopez scored 16 points in the second half to finish with 23 points and 12 rebounds.
George Hill - 5/10
The best shooter by 3-point percentage in the league this season, George Hill did not make much of an impression for the Milwaukee Bucks today. In 26 minutes of game time, he only hit one 3-pointer and wasn't able to affect Harden or Westbrook on the defensive end all that much.
Kyle Korver - 4/10
The veteran shooter was on the floor for 18 minutes and 26 seconds of game time, but the Milwaukee Bucks were unable to get him open with any regularity. He had a critically badly timed with less than 1 minute left in the game that reduced the Bucks' win probability significantly.
Marvin Williams - 5/10
The 15-year veteran was a big presence on the boards for the Milwaukee Bucks, especially early in the 4th quarter. He didn't have a hot hand, however, and his defense left a lot to be desired.
Sterling Brown - 4/10
The reserve Milwaukee Bucks guard did not tally any points on the board, but was briefly able to trouble Harden and Westbrook on the defensive end.
Unrated - Robin Lopez, DJ Wilson, Ersan Ilyasova
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Houston Rockets Player Ratings
Russell Westbrook - 8/10
The 8-time All Star has been a revelation for the Houston Rockets since January, averaging over 32 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game in this period. Top scoring for the team with 31 points, Westbrook came up big in the final few minutes of the game to seal the W.
James Harden - 7/10
For a player averaging 34.5 points per game this season, this was a below-par outing. The Houston Rockets haven't had many such performances from their MVP so far, but Harden did prove to be a great defender in the second half while playing with 4 fouls.
Danuel House Jr - 6/10
With 4 3-pointers made on 8 attempts, House providing the Houston Rockets with the spacing that they always crave so much. He was also reliable on defense and provided a body against Giannis's drives.
Robert Covington - 8/10
The 6'7" forward played way above his size on the night, knocking down several key shots and defending out of his skin. One might even call him the MVP of the Houston Rockets defense on the night.
PJ Tucker - 7/10
The 6'5", 240-pound forward was the Houston Rockets' best post defender on the night, troubling both the Greek Freak and Brook Lopez on the block. He was a bit off from downtown tonight, but still hit a crucial 3 in the closing stages of the game.
Jeff Green - 6/10
While Green struggled when pitted against Giannis or Brook Lopez in the post due to being severely undersized, he was a good floor spacer on the other end. Green took 8 field goal attempts - all of them from the 3-point line, connecting on 3 of them.
Austin Rivers - 6/10
While Rivers didn't have that much of a contribution to make on offense, he defended very well, even when switched onto bigger players. With 5 points and 4 rebounds, this was an average outing for the combo guard.
Ben McLemore - 6/10
The 7th-year player has been rejuvenated in Houston Rockets colours. McLemore's 3-pointer kicked off their surge late in the first quarter as the Houston Rockets came from behind to take the lead in that period.
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