Tonight could be the end of an era for the Milwaukee Bucks. After tying the series 2-2 with two impressive performances in games three and four at home, the Deer had their worst shooting night thus far in the playoffs in game five. That, along with a non-called shot clock violation in the final minute, led to a 92-87 loss. The fact that Giannis only took 10 shots is one thing, but it’s even more frustrating that Joe Prunty was once again widely outcoached by his counterpart Brad Stevens.
Out-Smarted
After Milwaukee dominated on the defensive end in games three and four with 27 blocks and the help of the energy from the home crowd, Stevens countered in game five by tweaking his starting lineup and rotation throughout the game. He went small with rookie Semi Ojeleye making his first career start for Aaron Baynes and tasked him with defending the Greek Freak, who struggled to get into a rhythm early on. Stevens also got his feisty combo guard Marcus Smart back, who made his 2018 playoff debut after missing time with a fractured thumb.
Smart’s hustle and grit were exactly what the Celtics had been missing, and it ended up making the difference. Offensively, Smart’s numbers don’t wow you with nine points on just 2-7 shooting but he added four assists, three blocks and a steal for his effort. His defensive effort lifted his teammates and they fed off his built up energy to limit the Bucks to just 37% shooting. Not to mention, the Bucks shot just 27% from three (9-33) after making double digit three pointers the previous two games including a franchise playoff high 16 in game three.
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Bringing Out the Freak
Giannis has been having a solid series up to this point averaging 25.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and seven assists in just fewer than 40 minutes per contest, but took a lot of flack last game for only taking 10 shots and finishing with 16 points. He did flirt with a triple-double by grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out nine assists, but even he knows he needs to more assertive on the offensive end.
As easy as that sounds, Giannis understands that he can’t force the issue and has to find ways to make the right plays for himself and his teammates. When Giannis is in attack mode and everyone else is knocking down shots, it makes the Bucks offense flow better. Being back at home should bring out a whole different Greek Freak as Milwaukee’s crowd will need to be involved early and often.
Moving the Ball
By going small, the Celtics were able to limit Milwaukee’s ability to get out and run and forced them into more half court sets. It’s no secret that the Bucks thrive more offensively when they can transition and get out on the fast break against teams by using their speed and athleticism. The problem they have with their fast break offense is too much standing around with a lot of iso surrounding Khris Middleton and Giannis. They rely too much on Middleton to bail them out with these heavily contested and fade away shots, which doesn’t allow for other guys to get into the flow of the offense. The Bucks had 41 assists in the first two games compared to 52 assists in games three and four. They did have 21 assists in game five but nine came from Antetokounmpo.
In Middleton’s defense, he is having his best playoff series of his career averaging 25 points and 5.8 rebounds on 57% shooting. He’s been lights out and has saved a lot of possessions for Milwaukee by finding his stroke at the right time.
I’m all for Middleton being assertive and taking a bulk of the shots but I would love it even more if his teammates helped him a bit more throughout the game. After playing 40 minutes a game every other night during the course of a series, it takes a toll on you and you could see it start to happen last game in Boston. Middelton is a strong post up player and does well at creating his own shot but he started to look fatigued at the end of last game. That’s where guys like Giannis, Eric Bledsoe and even Jabari Parker come in.
Getting Back to Focus
We’ve seen a completely different Eric Bledsoe in Boston compared to Milwaukee. It’s almost night and day. In games one and two, he was hounded by Terry Rozier but then responded in games three and four by simply playing smarter and letting the game come to him. In game five, he let the hostile Boston crowd get into his head once again. I’ve never second guessed Bledsoe’s energy and effort but he seemed more worried about Rozier instead of using his high motor to help his team win. That’s something that I’m sure his teammates will talk to him about heading into game six tonight. I understand the playoffs can be a testy time and certain matchups get more attention, but he means so much more to the Bucks on both ends when he let’s the game come to him rather than forcing the issue.
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Parker Answering the Call
Speaking of another guy back on his game, Jabari Parker has officially made his presence felt in this series. After just 25 minutes total played in games one and two with just two points to show for it, Parker has found himself over the last three games by averaging 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds while playing nearly 30 minutes a game. No question he has woken up offensively but he’s also been active on the defensive end with four blocks and four steals to show for it. With questions surrounding his overall attitude and upcoming contract situation, he’s swallowing his pride, for now, and doing whatever it takes to help his team win. Regardless of what happens in the summer, it’s a positive to see him go out and fight after looking pretty much checked out at the beginning of the series. They will need him more than ever if they want to come back and win this series.
Here We Go
To quote a line from the famous movie Home Alone where Macaulay Culkin says, “This is it. Don’t get scared now.” That has to be the motto going into tonight’s do or die game six. It’s been a tough series with both teams playing well at home and Milwaukee must continue that trend tonight in order to get one more opportunity to steal a road win. Boston knows that they are going into a tough environment and will certainly have the energy to try and close out the series. The Bucks on the other hand, have to match that energy and set the tone early. If the crowd is involved early and often, there’s no doubt this will go seven. It also means they have to execute on the defensive end and simply make shots. The Celtics play stifling defense and want to slow the game down. Milwaukee will look to speed the game up and get them back on their heels. It would be a huge let down and bitter ending to the Bradley Center if it ends with a loss. At least make the Celtics go back to Boston and in game seven anything can happen.
