What Are The Bucks Doing? KD Carries Nets To Game 5 Win! 6.15.21
It’s a Tuesday night of NBA playoff basketball and we have Game 5 between the Nets and Bucks tonight.
(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs (2) Brooklyn Nets
Milwaukee Bucks (2-3)
You had it, you had it. No Kyrie, Harden wasn’t 100% when playing, the Nets were missing shots and you were up by 17 in the 3rd. And you lost. You didn’t make any adjustments to guarding KD and then went away from your offense as the Nets passed you in the 4th to take the pivotal Game 5 win. This should have been yours but then you just fumble it away.
The Bucks first half was about as good as it gets. They shot 54% from the field and they hit 8 3’s. Giannis was dominating as he was getting to the rim off-ball and he didn’t shoot jumpshots. Middleton, Connaughton, and Holiday were solid. Defensively, other than KD and Jeff Green, the defense was great. James Harden was a non-factor and the Nets shooters didn’t have things going.
The one problem was fouls, Giannis, Lopez, and Tucker each had 2 in the first half but that was really it. The offense was flowing well, going with what worked. They were making the Nets work and if it wasn’t KD or Green, it wasn’t going in most likely. The Bucks led by 16 at the half and with 7:09 left, they led by 17. They had a 94% win probability according to ESPN. Then things went south.
The Nets quickly hit shots to go on a 11-2 run to cut the lead to 8. They got back into the game immediately and then the lead was just 6 entering the 4th. The offense lost its ball movement and now the Nets were gaining momentum. KD kept things on automatic and he gave the Nets the lead with 8:36 left. Tucker picked up his 5th foul with 7:30 left, forcing him to the bench.
Now you lose your only good KD stopper and you’re messing things up offensively. KD was hitting everything and the Bucks couldn’t stop him. The Nets led 109-105 with 51 seconds left. They cut the lead to two and got KD to miss. They had a timeout but decided not to use it. That turned out to be a mistake as Giannis lost the ball and the Nets went to the free throw line. KD made both and then the Giannis was fouled. He made 1/2, the Nets iced the game once and for all at the line and the Bucks lost. Nice.
Giannis had 34 points and 12 rebounds. He was very good, not too many bad shots, not too many free throws, this is about as good as it gets. Middleton was ok, he had 25 points on just 36% shooting. Holiday had 19 points but he was also shooting just 44% from the field.
Middleton and Holiday shot a combined 8/20 in the 2nd half as they weren’t that good. Lopez had 15, Connaughton had 10, the offense was good but they just weren’t as good. They lost their ball movement and a lot of their offense was relying on Giannis. Only 43% shooting in the 3rd compared to 60%+ for the Nets.
Don’t get me started defensively. When PJ Tucker is subbed out of the game with 7:30 left, that’s bad. But then why on earth is Middleton guarding him? He’s not a physical defender and KD toyed with him. You have the reigning DPOY on your team. He can guard KD with his length. But guess what? He’s just standing in the corner guarding Joe Harris. Why?
He’s just standing, watching his team lose. I fault Budenholzer, obviously, but Giannis at some point should just say, I got him. Still, Budenholzer you suck.
The Bucks had this game, they had it. But the Nets got going and the Bucks panicked. Their offense lost it’s ball movement and bad shots followed. Their poor defensive schemes led to KD having an all-time performance and now they’re down 3-2. Game 6 is their chance to force a Game 7 but this is just demoralizing to lose this game.
Brooklyn Nets (3-2)
Kevin Durant. Yeah, that’s all that needed to be said. He needed to have a big game and he did, like an all-time great game. Triple-double, played the entire game, he was magnificent in that 2nd half. Jeff Green was their 2nd best scorer and guys like Shamet and Griffin were solid. James Harden did his best but in the end, it was just enough to win this game.
That first half was ugly. It seemed like the Nets were sluggish, the role guys were seemingly expecting a 100% James Harden back, which just wasn’t true. KD and Jeff Green were great in that 1st half, but they had to no help. KD had 18 points and Green had 15 points, 33/43 points came from them in the first half.
KD and Green were 10/16 in the first half. The rest of the Nets were 4/24, not good. Joe Harris was struggling, Shamet didn’t do much. Griffin hit a couple of shots but it was just Green and Durant. The Nets seemed flat and they trailed by 16 at the half and then 17 early on in the 3rd. But like all great teams, they flicked a switch and then boom, here they came.
The Nets others started to hit shots, an 11-2 run after going down 17 cut the lead to 8. The lead was just 6 entering the 4th but more importantly, shots were falling. Brooklyn shot 67% from the field in the 3rd and they hit 6 3’s. The crowd was back in the game and momentum was swinging.
Their defensive intensity was there and KD gave them the lead. With PJ Tucker out the game with 5 fouls, KD went to work on Middleton, just draining tough shot after tough shot. He was unguardable and he was keeping Brooklyn ahead by 4.
A crazy 3 from KD with 51 seconds left put the Nets up 4. Giannis turned the ball over with 16 seconds left with the Bucks down two, as the Nets dodged a bullet. KD hit 3/4 free throws down the stretch and his incredible efforts weren’t wasted (take notes Portland) as the Nets, somehow, someway, win Game 5 and take a 3-2 series lead.
KD played like he’s the best player on the planet. He played all 48 minutes, scoring 49 points on 70% shooting (13/16 FT), grabbed 17 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. First player in NBA Playoff history with a 45/15/10 game, simply historic. He had 31 in the 2nd half as well.
The Nets needed somebody to step up and it was Jeff Uncle Green. 27 points off the bench, 7/8 shooting from 3, he was big-time, especially in that first half, keeping the Nets alive. Blake Griffin had 17 points, he was good. Shamet had 9 off the bench.
Harden was 1/10, Bruce Brown only played 13 minutes, Harris was 2/11. The Nets won with all of them struggling. They only played Shamet and Green off the bench, really only using 7 guys.
They were 22/25 from the line, they hit more 3’s than the Bucks and they shot the same FG% after being a -19 FG% in the first half. Their bench was great, the defense in the 2nd half was great, Kevin Durant happened, what a game.
The Nets needed this and now they go on the road with a 3-2 series lead. Harden played 46 minutes, so I’m guessing he’s fine to play, even if he doesn’t do much. Maybe Irving plays, although if anything, I would save him and try to win and if he can play, maybe Game 7? We’ll see his status for the rest of this series but what a win for the Nets. Couldn’t understate that enough tonight.
What Are Your Thoughts From The Game Tonight? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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