In the NBA regular season game on December 18, Beijing time, the Bucks faced the Rockets at home. The Bucks fielded players such as Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Lopez, Middleton and Jackson. The Rockets, on the other hand, used players such as Shin Kyung, Green, VanVleet, Dillon and Smith Jr.
The game started with a cold start and went without a movement for nearly three minutes before Middleton scored the first movement of the game as Middleton broke through for a layup. Subsequently, Lillard hit a three-point shot from the outside, and Brother Alphabet hit the inside to make it 2+1. Big Lopez scored a strong shot under the basket. The Rockets showed no signs of weakness, Shin Kyung scored four straight points on an inside hook shot, and VanVleet scored on a mid-range shot. After half a quarter, the two sides still failed to open the gap. The Rockets' Ethan Lane scored seven straight points on a foreign shot, and the Bucks' Lillard scored another three points to score 12 points in a row to lead the team beyond the score. The Bucks led the Rockets by five points at 33-28 in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Connaughton of the Bucks hit a three-point shot, and Brother Alphabet took advantage of his size to score six points in a row under the basket. The Rockets are also back on offense. Smith Jr. scored on a mid-range pullup jumper and scored five straight points from the outside line, Eason and Jeff scored five straight points under the basket, and VanVleet scored five straight points inside and out. However, the Bucks blossomed more on the offensive end, and Jackson ushered in a small outburst, scoring seven points in a row on 3-of-3 shooting in a single quarter. Big Lopez hit a three-pointer from beyond the arc to score seven straight points, and the Bucks quickly extended their lead to double digits. Although Greenley scored five points in the final game, the Bucks led the Rockets by 11 points at halftime, 71-60.
In the second half, the Rockets' offense resumed, and Shin Kyung broke through 4 points in a row and sounded the horn of a counterattack. Smith Jr. scored from mid-range, and Dillon and Green followed with three-pointers from the outside. Luckily, he hit a three-pointer in time to stabilize a slim five-point lead. Big Lopez also seized the opportunity from the outside of the line, and Lillard broke through the foul to get a free throw and hit a three-point shot from the outside. After VanVleet, Green and Shin Kyung broke through, the Rockets' offense came to a brief standstill. The Bucks made some substitutions at the end of the quarter, with Lillard and Portis hitting two three-pointers in quick succession, and Connaughton scoring from mid-range. Jeff scored five straight points, close to the Rockets' final 30-second deficit. The Bucks led the Rockets by nine points at 100-91 in the third quarter.
In the final quarter of the decisive battle, both sides were in a hot offensive state, and the game came and went, alternating scores. But the Bucks always maintained their lead. When Antetokounmpo earned his 7,162nd career rebound in the quarter, he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise record and became the first man for the Bucks!In the final minute, Shen Jing hit two free throws to close the gap to seven points. Big Lopez's decisive three-pointer from the outside killed the game, and the Bucks defeated the Rockets 128-119!
For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 15 rebounds and four assists on 10-of-22 shooting. Lillard finished with 35 points, five rebounds and 11 assists on 11-of-18 shooting. Big Lopez contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. Middleton had 18 points, three rebounds and two assists. Portis had 11 points and six rebounds.
For the Rockets, Shin had 17 points, six rebounds and four assists on 8-of-15 shooting. Green contributed 16 points, two rebounds and seven assists. VanVleet had 19 points, two rebounds and six assists. Dillon scored 18 points. Smith Jr. contributed 14 points, five rebounds and two assists.