The 3 key takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Charlotte Hornets

The Milwaukee Bucks rolled into Charlotte last night straight after a dramatic home game versus the Los Angeles Lakers and took care of business, beating the Hornets 105-96 to improve to 16-6 on the season, despite sitting out their stars. Here are the three key takeaways from the game.

All-around Bobby

With all the top guns out, someone had to step up, and it was Bobby Portis Jr. who decided to take on the challenge. One of the best 6th man in the NBA slid perfectly into the starting role and delivered a near triple-double, scoring 20 points with 8 rebounds and 7 assists. After the game, Bobby praised the team:

“Everybody gives themselves up for the betterment of the team,” Portis said “Everybody sacrifices and works extremely hard on this team. There are no egos.”

Even Hornets head coach Steve Clifford praised Portis Jr. and explained how he gave them problems:

“They’re playing him at the four, where he’s also a problem on the glass, he still goes in the post, and he can guard all those guys,” Clifford said. “He’s tough enough and physical enough to guard most five men, but he can also guard out on the perimeter. So, a lot of their schemes and stuff, he gives them good versatility on the defensive end.”

Mountain Brook

The only usual starter that was on the floor last night was center Brook Lopez, and the 34-year-old veteran made his presence known on both ends of the floor. Brook finished the game with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 blocks, further solidifying his case for the DPOY award.

Team win

Coach Budenholzer decided to rest his top guys after a tough game versus the Lakers the night before, as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton all got this game off.

“With the quick turnaround and with the back-to-back, a little bit of an early game, and just taking into account the big picture,” Budenholzer said. “They’re probably not happy with me, but I think, hopefully, they know we’re always trying to think about the big picture and try to keep them as healthy and kind of durable for the entirety of the season.”

But thankfully for Mike Budenholzer, he had the rest of the team clicking on all cylinders and stepping up. 4 players scored in double figures, and everyone who got time on the court scored and contributed to the win. Aside from the before mentioned Portis Jr. and Lopez, Jordan Nwora added 17 points, while Jevon Carter added 14 points and 6 assists. Even rookie A.J. Green got some minutes and scored 8 points.

What's next

The Bucks travel to Orlando, where they will play the Magic on Monday night.