WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — The Milwaukee Bucks (2-2) played their best basketball of the NBA season, thumping the Toronto Raptors (2-2) 112-85 on Tuesday where they had 31 assists on 47 field goals made and in shooting 60.3% from the field.
Bucks came into the game without head coach Larry Krystkowiak, whose wife gave birth to twin daughters.
Milwaukee hit 21 of its first 25 shots en route to a 63-48 half-time lead. Their biggest lead for the game was 34 as they totally dismantled the Raptors.
Starting rookie power forward Yi Jianlian, the number 6th pick in this years’ NBA Draft, had 12 points on 5/10 shooting, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 30 minutes of playing time.
Over the last two games both at home, Yi has averaged 14 points,6 rebounds, shooting 44% from the field in 31.5 minutes per game.
Yi is more relaxed than he was in the first two road games. He isn’t timid about shooting, and has a nice stroke to 22 feet.
Yi also has been setting his team mates up for easy shots, and they are returning the favor by looking for him out on the perimeter.
One play in particular in the first half, Yi is at the free throw line and he spots Bogut deep underneath the basket with a defender on his hip. Yi fires a nice pass down low and Bogut quickly turns and scores for a nice play.
He is a dangerous weapon outside, and his team mates know it. Soon the rest of the league will also and he will have to make some adjustments, but coach K is preparing him for that.
Yi and Bogut are anchoring a much improved defense, and the other guys are picking up on it and they are playing high effort team defense as well, and it is making a noticeable difference.
Toronto was led by guard Juan Dixon with 20 points and Kris Humphries with 16. All Star starting Forward Chris Bosh was held to 1 point in 16 minutes.
Bucks will take on Rockets on Friday in Houston, where Yi is to face his Chinese compatriot Yao Ming for the first time in his NBA rookie season.