Milwaukee Bucks (23-30) beat Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14) 110-93 on the road on Thursday, February 12 in a low-scoring game: just 203 combined points between the two teams.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Bucks had the better start, winning the first 30-25 to lead by 5 after one. The Bucks kept the pressure on with a 37-30 second quarter, carrying a 12-point lead into halftime.
The Bucks won the third 22-18 to create some separation, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth. The Bucks took the fourth 21-20; the Bucks finished the job for a 110-93 regulation win.
What decided it
The Bucks took better care of the ball, turning it over on 10.7% of possessions compared with 17.1% for the Thunder. The Bucks got more from their shots, finishing at 55.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 46.4% for the Thunder. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Thunder did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 19.3 against 5.3. The Bucks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 93 possessions per team, the Bucks produced 117.7 points per 100 possessions to 99.5 for the Thunder.
Who made the difference
Ousmane Dieng was the game's biggest individual force for MIL: 19 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast, 4 blk on 7-12 shooting. His Game Score of 22.7 led everyone. His team was +16 with him on the floor.
Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 16 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast on 5-12 shooting, good for a 19.7 Game Score.
Chet Holmgren (16 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast), Ousmane Dieng (19 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast), and Bobby Portis (15 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Bucks entered with about a 10% chance.
Across the last 4 meetings in our records, Oklahoma City Thunder lead 3-1.
The Bucks are now 23-30, and the Thunder are 42-14. The Bucks last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.