The Milwaukee Bucks ended a three-game skid and gave their fans an early Christmas present with a convincing 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. There is still plenty to work on, and with several players in slumps and Gary Trent Jr. leaving early with an injury, the door has opened for Gary Harris to become an important rotation piece.
Harris has just become vital with Bucks losing players to injury
Harris was the odd one out among the Bucks’ offseason additions, with the focus on younger, athletic players overshadowing his signing amid a flurry of moves. He has featured in 21 games this season, averaging 2.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on shooting splits of .452/.409/1.000 in 14.3 minutes per night.
On Tuesday night, he played 16 minutes off the bench, with Trent’s injury playing a part in his minutes increase. The veteran guard ended the night with five points, two rebounds, one assist, and a block as he buried a nice transition three early in the second quarter, something the Pacers have hit the Bucks with numerous times over recent seasons.
Indiana shot just 2-of-7 (28.6 percent) when guarded by Harris on Tuesday. He did end the night with five fouls. Some were questionable as the refs began punishing physicality, but Green and Trent have also found it tough to stay out of foul trouble. Harris has been around the league long enough to find ways to defend bigger opponents with better defensive tactics.
What has summed up the Bucks’ performances without Giannis Antetokounmpo is the lack of consistency from their players and in their rotation as a whole. Harris has played over 20 minutes on six occasions, but has also played garbage time in some games and even been an unused substitute. He could get some stability due to the current state of the roster.
The two guard and wing spots have been an issue of late for Milwaukee. No Taurean Prince or Giannis has left Kyle Kuzma with a lot of heavy lifting. Trent has been poor, and AJ Green has returned from injury but looks far from his best. This is where Doc Rivers may now look to a guy like Harris to come in and be impactful on both ends of the floor.
He is not going to be a hugely impactful guy that will change the season; that is not what he was brought in to do. However, playing tough defense and hitting shots from deep will keep Harris in the rotation, and right now, he has the chance to be important to this Milwaukee Bucks team. For now, the Bucks will await word on Gary Trent Jr.’s injury. That could really open the door for Gary Harris.