National Basketball Association
Milwaukee 104, Orlando 96
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 27, 2016
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Officials:
#24 Mike Callahan, #11 Derrick Collins, #44 Brett Nansel
Attendance:
16521
By The Sports Xchange
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Unheralded center John Henson went from warming the bench on Friday to dominating a game on Sunday, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to 104-96 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Two days made a world of difference.
Henson, whose playing time and role with the Bucks this season can change daily, set the tone early, then carried the Bucks late in just their second road victory of the season.
He scored a season-high 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots, making a convincing case for more consistent playing time.
It was a long way from Friday when he didn't play a single minute, watching teammates Miles Plumlee and Greg Monroe split the playing time at center in a tough lose at home to Toronto.
"It felt good tonight. It really felt good to be out there and playing well," Henson said. "We're all just trying to stay ready. Having three centers is tough for coach to get us all in. He just tells us to stay ready when you time comes. You can't stress about it. It's a long season."
The Bucks (7-8) took the lead in the first period and never trailed, although the Magic stayed within striking distance throughout the game, and were never behind by more than 11 points.
"I thought he was great on both sides of the ball," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "That is what we are used to seeing from John when he does play. He is the total package."
The Magic (6-11) lost their fourth consecutive game. Their lineup changes, which included three new starters on Sunday, did not produce a win.
Magic guard Evan Fournier led everyone with 27 points, but he scored only two points in final period. Orlando center Nikola Vucevic, who lost his starting role, scored 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as a reserve. Point guard Elfrid Payton, who also came off the bench for the first time this season, scored 16 points. Point guard D.J. Augustin, in his first start of the season, had 11 points and five assists. Veteran forward Serge Ibaka had 19 points and six rebounds.
Forward Aaron Gordon, who joining the starting lineup for the first time in eight games, missed all 12 of his shots.
"We've just got to keep looking for ways to get better," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "I wanted to explore some combinations with the same nine guys in the rotation. It was us trying to get a different feel. There were some good things about the (lineup) change, and some that weren't so good."
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Reserves Michael Beasley, rookie Malcolm Brogdon and Greg Monroe scored 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Magic closed within 88-86 midway in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Vucevic, but the Bucks scored the next seven points, including two baskets by Henson, and grabbed the momentum they never lost.
"Obviously, I wasn't happy with the (lineup) decision that they made," Vucevic said. "I didn't think there was any reason for me to go to the bench, but it was coach's decision. Whatever is going on, I will keep giving my best and stay professional."
The Bucks led 79-72 to start the fourth period. The Magic, after trailing by six at halftime, opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run that tied the game at 60. Fournier had 11 points in the third.
Milwaukee was on top 58-52 at intermission, riding a hot shooting start that included 12 points from Henson and 10 from Brogdon. Henson, who came into the game averaging just 4.6 points, made five of his eight shots in the first half.
The Bucks shot 58.3 percent (14 of 24 shots) in the first two periods, capitalizing on defensive lapses by the Magic.
Fournier led everyone early with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds in the first half. Vucevic had eight rebounds in 15 first-half minutes. The lineup changes helped the Magic offensively, but hurt them on defense.
Augustin, in his first start this season, had nine points in the first quarter when the Magic led by as many as six points.
NOTES: Magic C Bismack Biyombo and G D.J. Augustin started for the first time this season Sunday, replacing C Nikola Vucevic and G Elfrid Payton in a semi-major shakeup. F Aaron Gordon, who started the first eight games this season, returned to the starting lineup in place of Jeff Green (sore back). ... Bucks C John Henson moved into the starting lineup after not playing because of a coach's decision in Friday's loss to Toronto. ... Orlando committed a woeful 25 turnovers when it lost to the Bucks last week in Milwaukee. ... The Magic lost for only the second time in their past 21 meetings with the Bucks 19 in Orlando.
Top Game Performances
Milwaukee |
|
Orlando |
John Henson 20 |
Scoring |
Evan Fournier 27 |
Matthew Dellavedova 8 |
Assists |
Evan Fournier 7 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo 9 |
Rebounds |
Nikola Vucevic 16 |
John Henson 4 |
Free Throws Made |
Elfrid Payton 3 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo 1 |
Steals |
Evan Fournier 2 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo 3 |
Blocks |
Bismack Biyombo 2 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Milwaukee
|
104 |
47.7 |
8-24 |
14-20 |
24 |
53 |
6 |
6 |
11 |
Orlando
|
96 |
41.3 |
7-28 |
13-17 |
24 |
46 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
Upcoming Games
-
Orlando will play their next game on the road against San Antonio. The Magic have a W/L % of .429 after a win and .300 after a loss.
-
Milwaukee will play their next game at home against Cleveland. The Bucks have a W/L % of .286 after a win and .625 after a loss.