The Milwaukee Bucks continue their rise through the Eastern Conference ranks after trading for point guard Eric Bledsoe, having won three straight contests. Tonight, a showdown against the surprising Detroit Pistons looms large; when these two teams last clashed, Detroit took control of the game from the foul line (28 FTs vs. 9 FTs for the Bucks), and forced Giannis Antetokounmpo into a super-inefficient 29 points on 27 shots.
The past three games have been a breath of fresh air, and the easiest catalyst to point at is newcomer Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe’s box score stats aren’t terribly impressive, but his energy level on defense and speed with the ball on offense seems to have unlocked a higher gear for the Bucks as a whole.