Milwaukee Bucks did not have a reunion game against Malcolm Brogdon. After there have been discussions throughout the month about how Milwaukee made a mistake about Brogdon, he missed the game with a back injury. Brogdon left the Houston game on Friday with that injury. It is somewhat poetic that Brogdon missed the game with an injury. One of the reasons why Milwaukee did not want to pay Brogdon over 80 million dollars was injuries. People fail to recognize that which is okay. But Brogdon’s injury issues were a real concern. Without Brogdon, Milwaukee rolled in this one winning 102-83 notching their third straight win.

Player of the Game: Brook Lopez – Yes, I decided against Giannis for POG. And funny enough, I might not give him the HM either. He had a good game, but nothing special. Brook Lopez had himself a day. He scored 15 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks. That’s a full stat sheet. Lopez did it inside the paint versus outside the paint. Indiana’s big men did not have an answer for Lopez, and he made very difficult for Indiana to score in the paint.

Honorable Mention: Donte DiVencenzo – This was a really good night for Donte. He played well in an ugly basketball game. DiVencenzo scored 14 points with four rebounds and three steals. This is a good bounceback stop for DiVencenzo where his first start did not leave much to be desired. He played great on Saturday. And hope he can keep this up.

One Thing I Liked: Bucks did it with defense – Yes, Indiana wasn’t the same team because there is no Brogdon. That being said, Milwaukee did a great job with their defense altogether. They shut down the Pacers. Indiana scored less than 25 points in three of the fourth quarters. Indiana shot only 32 percent from the field.

One Thing To Watch: Bucks’ Three-Point Shooting slump – If you’re looking for a Middleton effect with this team, it could be the fact Milwaukee is not as good of a three-point shooting team. Milwaukee only made six threes on Thursday night. And they only made 12 this evening. If they continue to have issues from deep, they need to readjust their offense.

Next up: Milwaukee gets ready for round two against the Chicago Bulls. Don’t be surprised if the Bucks give Giannis a night off. This is probably the right time where he could rest. Also, Jim Boylen got all pissy about how the game ended on Thursday, so, don’t be surprised if Chicago tries to do something dumb.

Charlie.