Bucks 111, Hawks 102: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker have their time in the spotlight

Matt Velazquez | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

In early June back in 2015, the Milwaukee Bucks hosted a block party at their new corporate offices at Schlitz Park. There, they unveiled their new-look jerseys in front of a big, festive crowd.

Their uniform unveiling involved unfurling a banner down the side of the building, one that featured their two young stars -- Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker -- standing side-by-side under their hashtagged new motto "Own The Future."

The Bucks have ascended from there, reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season and currently leading the Eastern Conference with a 15-3 record after a 111-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee's rise didn't go exactly as expected, something that was personified on Wednesday night.

More than four years after sharing the same jersey and banner in downtown Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo and Parker went head-to-head with Antetokounmpo leading the Bucks while Parker carried the Hawks. By the end of the night, Parker had won the one-on-one battle with 33 points and 14 rebounds, but Antetokounmpo -- 30 points, 10 rebounds -- and the Bucks had won the war with their ninth straight victory in hard-fought fashion.

“It’s always great going against Jabari," Antetokounmpo said. "You always got to be ready because he’s going to come 100% -- he loves playing against the Bucks. He loves being aggressive, he loves getting going early, that’s a guy that you know is going to shoot the ball no matter what, so it was good going against him. I think he played unbelievable tonight.”

BOX SCORE: Bucks 111, Hawks 102

Parker's time in Milwaukee was marred by two ACL tears and rehabs that limited him to 183 games over four seasons. In the summer of 2018, the Bucks opted to waive him rather than contend with an offer sheet from the Chicago Bulls that awarded Parker $20 million for the 2018-'19 season.

He struggled in Chicago and Washington last season before finding a home in Atlanta where he hoped to rediscover and rebuild himself as a player. After getting cheered during player introductions Wednesday night, Parker hit the ground running, scoring Atlanta's first eight points of the night.

“You know, I just love being here," said Parker, who scored 25 of his 33 points in the first half. "I love the fans. It’s like a home game for me because I just love the energy. It’s just like coming back. You know it’s my second home in a lot of ways."

Antetokounmpo was Parker's main defender most of the night, bringing back memories of their practice battles in the past. On Wednesday, the two went one-on-one on multiple possessions, trading buckets and stops on each other.

After some of that back and forth, though, Antetokounmpo recognized he needed to stop. That was particularly apparent after Parker scored 10 points in Atlanta's 42-point second-quarter surge to undo Milwaukee's 17-point lead.

“Jabari’s such a good player one-on-one," Antetokounmpo said. "You try not to get out of your game because he loves to do that. ... He wants you to play one-on-one, he’s so good at it. But at the end of the day, after the second quarter, I tried to focus on the team and getting it done.”

The Bucks muddled through the third quarter, trailing by a point heading into the final period, but were able to right the ship in time to secure the win.

Midway through the fourth quarter with the Bucks up by two, Ersan Ilyasova came up with a steal then put back a missed layup by Antetokounmpo. Wesley Matthews then used his size to score on Trae Young in the post and Eric Bledsoe burst to the bucket to put the Bucks up by six.

Then, it was Khris Middleton -- playing in his first game since missing seven contests with a left thigh contusion -- who shifted momentum for good by knocking down a three-pointer with just under four minutes left to put the Bucks ahead by nine.

Middleton had a solid first night back, coming off the bench for 16 points on 5 of 13 shooting along with three rebounds and three assists in 19 1/2 minutes. He started the game hot, making his first impact with a steal late in the first quarter followed by a nice pass to Ilyasova for a dunk. By halftime, Middleton was 4 of 5 from the floor.

"Kind of vintage Khris," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He had a couple good looks -- he could have even had a bigger first night with a couple good open looks. But overall, I thought he was really good offensively. He understands how to get people involved, can make reads and decisions.

"He can play for himself or play for others -- he does a lot of things well. I think he just calms the group down and he's a smart, smart player (who) understands what we want to do. It's great to have him back."

For the Bucks, finishing off the win meant locking down on defense. After allowing 42 points in the second quarter, they gave up just 43 for the rest of the game. Limiting Parker had plenty to do with that as Parker scored just two points in the fourth quarter and was 4 of 10 for eight points in the second half.

At points, though, Antetokounmpo thought Parker was going to keep burying shots. He knew that the most he had allowed to the man who was assigned to guard was 36 points to Rudy Gay on November 25, 2015 and he was nervous Parker -- of all people -- was about to eclipse that number.

“Thank God he didn’t get 37 on me," Antetokounmpo said. "I’d be so (mad).”

There were plenty of other ancillary performances for both teams. Donte DiVincenzo put up 12 points, Brook Lopez got hot early from three-point range and finished with 11 points while Wesley Matthews added 10 points. Bledsoe was the one starter who wasn't in double figures (9 points) but he set up everybody else with 10 assists and grabbed three steals while Ilyasova chipped in 13 points off the bench.

Young served as Parker's running mate, going 12 of 24 from the floor for 29 points along with seven assists.

But make no mistake, Antetokounmpo and Parker were the stars of the show. Those two going toe-to-toe was a spectacle to behold with each bringing their best to the court at Fiserv Forum. Antetokounmpo enjoyed the competition and more importantly was happy to see Parker on the court looking like himself.

“It’s insane what this kid has gone through," Antetokounmpo said. "A lot of people don’t think about it and he’s back. He’s back, he’s healthy, he’s jumping out of the gym, making plays, shooting threes. I’m really, really happy for him. I know he had a lot of dark times after the injury, both injuries that he had, but he’s back.”

The minds of plenty of fans likely drifted to thoughts of what could have been had both been together at the peak of their powers. Parker's injuries meant no one had a chance to find out since it was reasonable -- and arguably imperative to their growth -- for the Bucks to move on when they did.

Earlier on Wednesday, though, Parker told ESPN that he wouldn't rule out coming back to Milwaukee if the right situation arose since he was sad to leave when he did. Told of those comments, Antetokounmpo wasn't against the notion, tying it into the culture he and the Bucks are trying to build.

“I don’t think there’s a player that has ever left Milwaukee that doesn’t love Milwaukee," Antetokounmpo said. "As an organization that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to make players love playing in Milwaukee, love being in Milwaukee. Since I’ve been here that’s what this team has done, that’s what I try to do.

"Whoever I play with, I want them to know this is always home no matter what the circumstances. Sometimes you’re going to get traded, sometimes you’re going to choose to go somewhere else because you get a larger paycheck. As I said, sometimes there are going to be moves. But at the end of the day, I want guys to love being here, love playing for this team, love playing with me. I love that he, if he ever finds the opportunity to come back, he would be willing to come back."

Maybe that day will come and maybe it won't, but for one night at Fiserv Forum, both Antetokounmpo and Parker shared the spotlight, even if it wasn't in the way anyone initially expected.