The significance of having a special squad in the NBA Playoffs
Reviewing the Milwaukee Bucks' first two games against the Miami Heat.
Editor’s note: The following article was written by Eugene Choursoutoglou, Gyro Step assistant producer and frequent contributor to the GSPN Substack. Follow Eugene on Twitter for more Bucks coverage during this Playoff run!
The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a very important victory against the Miami Heat (138-122) on Wednesday night, bouncing back from what was a very disappointing performance in Game 1 of the series.
Scoring 138 points in general is big. But scoring 138 points in the Playoffs is huge! Obviously, the difference in scoring wasn't the only thing different compared to the first game.
Let’s have a flashback to Sunday's game: The Bucks were inactive for a whole week before their first Playoff game. On the contrary, the Heat had already two hard-fought games against the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In tournament. Lack of rhythm was surely an issue during their first meeting, as the Heat had already two high intensity games under their belt. That translated into a big Heat (pun very much intended) check from the 3-point line which lasted throughout the whole game. Miami scored 130 points, on 60% 3-point shooting.
The Bucks, on the other hand, shot just 24% from 3 in what was one of their worst shooting performances of the season. Amidst all of this crescendo of opponent 3-pointers, the Bucks had to face another issue, maybe the greatest of all: Giannis Antetokounmpo fell awkwardly on his back after a collision with Kevin Love, which made him unable to continue in the game.
Everything that could go wrong went wrong for the Bucks. In a very ugly game for their fans, they failed to start the Playoffs on a positive note and stress took over the fanbase. Game 2 was suddenly a do or die game for them as historically, it is not the easiest thing to come back from being down 2-0 in the Playoffs, especially when the following games are going to take place in enemy territory. Giannis’ absence from Game 2 made everything worse.
Suddenly, you have to rely on the group to step forward and make a statement. Jrue Holiday’s quote after the game is everything anyone needs to know about this team. Milwaukee’s roster consists mainly of experienced guys who have been on this stage countless times. They knew they had to step up and they did. In a game where the Heat shot 44% from three and had 15 more free throws, they never really stood a chance.
Let’s break down some key aspects of the two games.
Brook Lopez
It was more than obvious after the first game that Brook Lopez should be more involved offensively. He only took 7 field goal attempts, and 3 of them were beyond the arc. This is a very small number if we consider the fact that Giannis was out for the majority of the game, as well as the fact that he has a clear advantage against every center option on the Miami Heat. Thankfully, the coaching staff realized the clear advantage in the paint, decided to give him the ball in the post and the rest is history. He dropped 25 points on 70% field goal percentage and it looked effortless. His 14-point first quarter was one of the reasons Milwaukee managed to create their early lead, which they kept for the whole game. Lopez is going to be key for the rest of the series and they have to make sure to keep him involved even when Giannis returns to the lineup.
3-point shooting
As we’ve already mentioned, the Bucks had a nightmare from beyond the arc in the first game, scoring just 11 of the 45 threes they attempted. Including Game 1 against the Heat, the Bucks were shooting just 27.3% from 3 in their last 8 Playoff games (68 makes in 249 attempts!). The pressure before Wednesday’s game was huge in that department as well. Luckily, the guys who tend to thrive under pressure had a historical shooting night. They finished the game with 51% shooting, breaking a lot of records.The Bucks scored their most points in a playoff game since 1978, made their most 3-pointers in a playoff game in team history and had their most assists in a playoff game since 1978. They also set a record for scoring the most points in a game without their leading scorer from the regular season in NBA postseason history and the just the second team to score 25 3-pointers in a Playoff game.
Some individual shooting performances were amazing. Joe Ingles shot 83.3% (6/7), Bobby Portis shot 75% (3/4), Grayson Allen shot 50% (4/8), but one guy deserves a special, honorary mention. His name is Pat Connaughton.
Pat Connaughton
As far as comeback performances go, Pat’s performance on Wednesday was one of the best individual performances of any role player the Bucks have seen lately, at least in the postseason. Pat’s regular season was far from perfect. He was forced to miss 21 games due to injuries, which made finding rhythm very difficult. Nothing was going well for him. He struggled to shoot the ball from 3, (just 33.9%) and his defensive performances weren’t the best. His problematic performances had him in the borderline of the Playoff rotation.
Pat did not crack Mike Budenholzer’s rotation in Game 1, but with his performance in Game 2, it was like he never left. His confidence and his dynamism were immense for the Bucks win. He shot the ball well, shooting 60% from beyond the arc (6/10) and finishing with 22 points, his highest-ever scoring Playoff appearance. On Wednesday, he forced his way back in the Playoff rotation and he has surely rejuvenated his case for his name to be on the rafters someday, as we have proposed here at GSPN (just listen to the intro of the Game 2 recap podcast!).
Passing the ball
One thing I liked on Wednesday’s performance was the way the Bucks were moving the ball. They recorded 35 assists, which is not much better than Game 1 where they had 29, but their offense looked much more flawless. Jrue Holiday had a lot to do with this, since he recorded 11 assists in what was a much better overall performance by him. Even in the fourth quarter, when they cooled off from the 3-point line, they still found ways to get inside the paint and create good looks by simply moving the ball quickly. Going forward, they should avoid trying their one-pass offenses. Instead, they should try to make enemy defenses move constantly. In fact, the Bucks are unbeaten this season when recording more than 30 assists. Pass the ball. Find the best look.
To sum up, I was personally very moved by that performance on Wednesday. To see the guys pull out a performance like this without their leader, in a game where they had their backs on the wall is huge for the overall confidence of both the team and the fanbase. It has created a new sense of confidence that was very fragile before the second game. Seeing Khris Middleton play with passion and attacking the paint again and again, Jrue Holiday being relentless on both ends of the floor, Pat Connaughton shooting with confidence like he’s been a 45% career shooter, and then immediately lowering down to the floor on defense with his whole body locked in, it’s just special. This team has the personality and the experience to get over anything. And as long as they keep playing well, they can add and change more things in their game, as smoothly as possible.
Yes, there are things that they can (and have to) improve. There will always be. But we should not underestimate the confidence and the calmness that comes with winning games. It is very likely that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available for the next game. If he is, everything will be easier. Though, one thing has to stay the same. And that’s the productivity of role players. As long as the Bucks can rely on the depth of their roster to provide them with scoring and good defense, they will be fine. Let’s go win a couple in Florida!