It is weird to watch the Milwaukee Bucks out of sorts. It does not happen often. Bucks are a team that plays rather crisp and clean. They did neither in the first half against the Chicago Bulls. Milwaukee held on to a one-point lead at halftime with only 53 points. The Bucks had 15 turnovers in the first half. This was the first ‘early’ start of the season for Milwaukee, and it is clear that the body clocks were a bit off for the boys. Thankfully, they did their usual thing and kicked ass in the second half with a dominating third quarter. Milwaukee won the game 111-98 gaining their first season sweep of the season at the expense of the Chicago Bulls.

Player of the Game: Khris Middleton – Yes, I know Giannis had a triple-dobule, we’ll get there. Middleton continues to be spectacular in January. He had 24 points with six rebounds and six assists. Bulls had no answer for him on defense. Midds abused Kris Dunn every time that Dunn faced off against him. It was not pretty. He finished the game with 10-of-13 shooting and 3-of-4 from deep. That’s the type of night you want from your second banana.

Honorable Mention: Giannis Antetokounmpo – He had a triple-double and did not play that well… Shrug. That’s the type of guy Giannis is these days. He had 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists to get his fourth triple-double of the season and he did not play well. Giannis had eight turnovers, he missed four of his three-point attempts and was woeful from the free-throw line. This isn’t about setting expectations too high for the Greek Freak, rather, pointing out that the stat line shows more than just the triple-double.

One Thing I Liked: Dragan Bender gives decent minutes – With the illness bothering Robin Lopez, Dragan Bender stepped up and gave the Bucks some serious minutes. Bender replaced D.J. Wilson in the rotation, and he’s been doing a good job in there. Bender played 14 minutes and scored four points. The game didn’t look too fast for him. I’m not sure that I would have him and Kyle Korver out there at the same time considering their lack of defense prowess. But other than that, I like what Bender showed in the last couple of games.

One Thing I Don’t Like: Have to be better from the free-throw line – Along with the turnovers, the sloppy play was a factor at the free-throw line. Bucks missed 13 free throws last night. That cannot happen with this team. They’re too good to be clanking that many off the iron.

Next Up: Milwaukee takes a few days off and gets to enjoy the sights of Paris before taking on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday afternoon in France. Last time the Hornets and Bucks got together, Milwaukee won by 40. Charlotte is currently struggling losing their last seven games.

Charlie.