Photo Credit: Blaine Schultz
Shortly after the Milwaukee Bucks swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the attention went to determining who Milwaukee will play next. On Tuesday night, the Brooklyn Nets solidified their fate, winning their opening round series with the Boston Celtics in five games. Brooklyn became a thorn in the Bucks’ early in the season, when a blockbuster trade put James Harden in New York alongside all-stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Nets have been the talk of the East, ultimately finishing the season with the second overall playoff seed, just two games above the Bucks.
The storylines are big in this series, with Milwaukee crafting their own “big three” consisting of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and mid-season addition Jrue Holiday. Milwaukee’s trio have had more playing time together, as the Nets went into the playoffs with only eight games where Harden, Durant and Irving were all healthy. There’s also a sense of animosity between Harden and Antetokounmpo, with both taking verbal jabs at one another in the past, likely stemming from Giannis’ 2019 MVP win. There will be no shortage of drama, as this could have easily been a conference finals series had the standings at the end of the year played out a bit differently.
On the Court
The Bucks and Nets have met three times this season, with Milwaukee winning the season series. They did so by winning a pair of back-to-back games in Milwaukee in May, as part of what would be a crucial stretch in terms of playoff seeding. The only loss for the Bucks against the Nets this year came on January 18, dropping a 125-123 heartbreaker in the second game since acquiring Harden. That game came down to a clutch Kevin Durant three-pointer with 36 seconds remaining. Giannis and Harden both had 34 points in that contest, and Durant proved to be the spoiler, putting up 30 points as well.
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For Brooklyn, the duo of Harden and Durant lead the team in all of the major offensive categories, and Kyrie Irving finished the regular season at 9th in overall scoring. In comparison, Giannis Antetokoumpo finished 5th, and all three of Milwaukee’s core players finished in the top 50 scorers for the 2020-21 season. From a team perspective, Milwaukee and Brooklyn finished first and second as the top scoring offenses in the regular season. The Nets are currently also the highest scoring offense in the postseason, and the Bucks are the best postseason defense in terms of points allowed in the East. This is definitely a primetime matchup, and should make for a very exciting series.
Game one of the Bucks’ series with the Nets tips off at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, airing nationally on TNT. The rest of the series schedule has not been announced, but Brooklyn has home court advantage as the higher seed. Games three and four will be played in Milwaukee. For playoff ticket information, visit the Bucks website.
