Magic Surprise Bucks in Game One

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Photo via Twitter / NBA

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks were reminded on Tuesday that they are, in fact, in a playoff series.

Going into the bubble, both the Bucks and Orlando Magic had very different scenarios; one was essentially confirming their place as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while the other was looking to make it into the playoffs. Both teams only won three of their eight seeding games. The differences in mindset were apparent in game one of the 1-vs-8 matchup on Tuesday afternoon, which saw the Bucks get upset by the Magic, 122-110.

Orlando took control of the game early, going on a quick scoring run to control the lead in the first quarter. Playing without forwards Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon, the Magic took their game to the perimeter, hitting clutch three-pointers when they needed them most. Orlando center Nikola Vucevic scored a playoff career-high 35 points, going five for eight behind the arc. The Bucks looked flat, particularly with their second unit on the floor, and it was clear that it was not going to be their afternoon early on.

The second half started promising, with Giannis Antetokounmpo single-handedly erasing most of a ten-point deficit. That burst of energy was short lived, however, as the Magic regained their composure and continued to hold their lead. Frustration started to build for Milwaukee, and miscues causing turnovers as well as some crucial missed free-throws didn’t help matters. While Giannis looked strong, forward Khris Middleton made only four of twelve shots, and a team that was normally an offensive powerhouse struggled to find their feet. Another late scoring surge brought things closer in the fourth quarter, but things never really clicked for the Bucks, who now look to regroup later this week.

You can watch the Bucks as they look to even up the first-round series with Orlando at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. on both ESPN and Fox Sports Wisconsin.