Another night, another ““huh, I would’ve guessed the Milwaukee Bucks would win that one” type of games as the Portland Trailblazers traipsed into town and took Bud’s team to task to the tune of a 122-107 victory. Sure, there was no Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor, but a messy nights from Khris Middleton plus hot shooting from Anfernee Simons was enough to spoil Serge Ibaka’s debut.
Serge Ibaka got the surprise first start, and things also started well enough for the Bucks even if they went into the second narrowly behind the Blazers, 31-30. In the second though, the wheels went kaput as a listless defensive effort led to transition buckets and deep shots aplenty while Chauncey Billups’s squad poured in 40 points to lead 71-54.