Dubs Fall to Bucks on Christmas Day

The Warriors struggled to get their shots to fall in Friday’s Christmas Day matchup on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks as they dropped the holiday contest 138-99. The Dubs finished 34-for-99 (34.3 percent) on their field goals and 10-for-45 on three-pointers, while the Bucks had the hot hands and made 20 of their 37 three-pointers on a 54-percent day from beyond the arc.

The Warriors remained within striking distance through the first half of the game thanks to early effort from Stephen Curry and James Wiseman.

Wiseman, the Warriors’ second overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, scored a quick seven points in his first four minutes on the floor including a three pointer. He also recorded his first NBA block when he stopped Milwaukee’s Donte DiVincenzo from floating in a layup form the left side of the bucket.

Meanwhile, Curry overcame a slow start to finish with 15 points by the end of the first half. He ended the second quarter on a high note by sinking a three pointer with 1.3 seconds left in the second quarter to reduce the Bucks’ lead to 66-56 at the break.

However, Milwaukees’ hot shooting combined with an off-day for the Dubs made for a tough second half in which the Warriors were outscored 72-43.

TEAM LEADERS

GSW
Points	Rebounds	Assists
Curry – 19	Wiseman – 8	Curry – 6
Wiseman – 18	Wiggins – 6	Wanamaker – 2
Wiggins – 12	Oubre Jr. / Chriss – 5	6 Tied – 1

MIL
Points	Rebounds	Assists
Middleton – 31	Antetokounmpo – 13	Holiday – 6
Antetokounmpo – 15	Portis – 12	Middleton -5
DiVincenzo / Augustin – 13	Connaughton – 7	2 Tied – 4

Despite an off shooting day for the Dubs, the rookie Wiseman got his second start and produced an efficient game following his 19-point debut in Brooklyn: the 19-year-old finished with 18 points and eight rebounds to go with three blocks in the contest. Wiseman also made his first three three-pointers of the game which now puts him at 4-for-5 across the Warriors’ first two games.

Stephen Curry’s 19 points on the day gives him 16,458 on his career, putting him in elite company in the Warriors history books. He has now passed Rick Barry (16,447) for second in the franchise’s all-time scoring list and sits behind only Wilt Chamberlain (17,783).

Now 0-2 on the 72-game season, the Warriors continue their season-opening road trip in Chicago when they face the Bulls in a Sunday evening matchup (5 p.m., NBCSBA).

More Notables …

- Golden State made its eighth-straight Christmas Day appearance, marking the 10th time in the last 11 years that the Warriors have played on December 25.

- Stephen Curry (16,439 career points) became the all-time scoring leader in Golden State’s West Coast Era (since 1962), tallying 19 points to pass Rick Barry (16,447).

- James Wiseman, who became the fourth-youngest player to appear in a game on Christmas Day (since starters were first tracked in 1970-71), tallied 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. His 18 points are the fifth-most points by a Warriors rookie on Christmas and most since Joe Barry Carroll scored 20 points on the holiday in 1980.