Milwaukee Bucks

Bledsoe, Bucks' 3-point shooters heating up

Published Apr. 3, 2018 4:31 p.m. ET

While it's been a mixed bag for Milwaukee recently, there's one thing the Bucks are doing that is trending in the right direction and could be a boon in the playoffs.

Since the All-Star break, Milwaukee has increased its 3-point percentage by 3.1, which is the third-best increase in the NBA since before the break. The Bucks shot 34.9 percent from downtown before the All-Star game, but are at a 38.0 percent clip since.

Four Bucks are shooting 40 percent or better from 3 since the All-Star break with a fifth, Eric Bledsoe, just missing that cutoff.

Bledsoe is a big reason for Milwaukee's rise in 3-point percentage. He's taken the most 3s for the Bucks since the All-Star break (104) and is making 39.4 of those shots, after making just 32.2 percent of his 3 attempts previously.

But Bledsoe isn't the only one to have found his range in the season's second stanza. Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo both are shooting much better and Jabari Parker has become a 3-point weapon after hitting 2 of 8 from long range in his games before the break.

Here's the 3-point percentage of Bucks players after the break (min. 20 attempts) compared to their pre-break percentage:

PLAYER	3FG	3FGA	3%	Pre-ASG%
Tony Snell	24	57	42.1	41.1
Khris Middleton	40	96	41.7	34.6
Jabari Parker	23	57	40.4	25.0
Giannis Antetokounmpo	16	40	40.0	29.0
Eric Bledsoe	41	104	39.4	32.2
Jason Terry	22	64	34.4	34.2
Sterling Brown	10	30	33.3	37.7
Brandon Jennings	8	26	30.8	n/a

Other notes:

-- A meeting against Boston on Tuesday could be a potential playoff preview. The Celtics have won two of three from the Bucks this season and one reason could be rebounding. Boston holds a 44.3-36.7 edge in the three games, including 8.3-3.7 offensively, and is averaging 10.3 second-chance points compared to 4.3 for Milwaukee.

-- Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe and Middleton combine for 65.8 points per game -- the most of any trio in the NBA.

-- Speaking of Giannis and scoring, when "The Greek Freak" scores 25 or more points, the Bucks are 30-17.

-- The Bucks have averaged 117.0 points of their last 12 games compared to 104.6 in the previous 65 contests.

Statistics courtesy STATS