Eric Bledsoe

Bucks' Bledsoe gets back to work in the paint

Published Nov. 6, 2019 3:01 p.m. ET

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Sidelined with a rib injury in the preseason, Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe was ready for the season opener, but wasn't quite playing like himself.



He averaged just 10.5 points on 36.4% shooting with 4.3 assists and in four games last month, well short of his usual numbers.

However, Bledsoe has bounced back over the past week. He scored a season-high 22 points in the Bucks' win over Minnesota on Monday, going 8-for-14 from the field with nine rebounds and six assists.

He's averaging 18 points on 51.2% shooting with 7.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists in three games this month, and upping his production in the paint.

Led by Bledsoe and star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks are thriving in in the paint. Milwaukee has the league's second-highest field-goal percentage in the paint at 62%, just ahead of the Clippers (60%).

Milwaukee visits Los Angeles on Wednesday, a matchup that won't feature Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers star will miss the Bucks' trip to Staples Center after playing major minutes in the fourth quarter of their win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday.

He's been electric in the fourth so far. Leonard is doing the bulk of his damage late, averaging 10.5 points per game on 55.3% shooting in the final frame this season.

The Clippers are also getting plenty of scoring from their bench. The group is averaging 55.1 points per game so far, tops in the NBA. Montrezl Harrell is averaging 19.3 points per game off the bench with an effective field-goal percentage of 73.6%, the highest in the league.

Statistics via Sportradar & NBA.com

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Eric Bledsoe

Milwaukee Bucks