Davis Drops 34, Washington Handles Milwaukee 128-116
Anthony Davis put up 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block to power Washington past Milwaukee 128-116 on October 21. The big man was everywhere — scoring in the paint, pulling down glass, and even draining a 26-foot three-pointer in the first quarter.
Milwaukee came out swinging. Jaime Jaquez Jr. opened the scoring with a dunk and a free throw, and the Bucks pushed the lead to 7-2 before Washington blinked. But Davis woke the home crowd up fast — a tip shot, then a running dunk off a Bilal Coulibaly feed, and suddenly it was a game again. The first quarter became a back-and-forth slugfest: Kyshawn George threw down an alley-oop off a Trae Young lob to tie it at 13, Davis hit that improbable three to put Washington ahead 16-13, and Tyler Herro answered immediately with a three of his own to level it again at 16. By the time Trae Young converted two free throws in the final minute, Washington held a 25-23 edge after one.
The second quarter opened with more of the same tightness — Milwaukee tied it twice and even grabbed a brief lead — but Washington's depth kept finding answers. Trae Young was orchestrating everything, lofting an alley-oop to Deandre Ayton and threading a pass to Bub Carrington for a 26-foot three that pushed the lead to 30-28. The Bucks clawed back, and the game was still within one possession deep into the second. The real separation, it appears, came later. In the fourth quarter, with Washington's win probability sitting at 39%, Ryan Rollins drilled a 26-foot three-pointer off a Kyle Kuzma assist — and the home win probability swung from 39% to 30%, a 9-point shift that looks like the moment Milwaukee's comeback window effectively closed.
The story of the night was Davis commanding every phase. His 34-point, 12-rebound performance was complemented by Trae Young's 20-point, 13-assist masterclass running the offense, and Kyshawn George chipping in 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists off what appears to have been an aggressive, attacking night. For Milwaukee, Herro's 24 points and 9 assists and Jaquez Jr.'s 22 points and 7 rebounds gave the Bucks plenty to work with — they just couldn't contain Washington's frontcourt. Milwaukee suited up a thin roster with ten players listed as DNP by coach's decision, which may or may not have factored into their ability to sustain defensive intensity down the stretch. Washington wins, 128-116.