One day the Milwaukee Bucks will fulfill Brandon Jennings’ prophecy and win a playoff series in 6 game. Unfortunately, Thursday will not be that day as the Bucks’ lost the ugliest game of the series so far 92-87.
When the starting lineups were announced it was clear Brad Stevens had some adjustments ready to go for tonight. Semi Ojeleye replaced Aron Baynes for the Celtics. The Bucks had had success using their athleticism to attack Baynes so far this series and Brad must have seen him more as a liability than an asset on the court as he played only 10 minutes tonight.
In my last recap I mentioned the Celtics’ ability to grab offensive rebounds might be what gives them the edge in this series, but, instead of continuing to exploit Milwaukee’s biggest weakness, Brad through us all a curve ball and had the C’s drop back on defense as quickly as possible after each shot. He apparently wanted to shut down the Bucks’ ability to score in transition. It worked and it greatly effected the Bucks’ scoring efficiency, as they registered just 15 fast break points despite 18 Boston turnovers.
Boston also went out of their way to play physically tonight. They especially wanted to bother Delly and Bledsoe, pressuring them all the way up the court. It was up to the Bucks to match the C’s energy all night and they just couldn’t do that consistently.
A major part of this sudden burst of energy from the Celtics was the return of Marcus Smart. Smart played 25 minutes and put up: 9 points, 5 boards, 3 blocks and 4 assists. He shot 2 of 7 from the field, missed both of the 3’s he attempted, had 5 turnovers, but still managed to effect the game in a lot of intangibly positive ways. Smart is the kind of player you absolutely love until he plays against your team, kind of like Indiana’s Lance Stephenson. He was an absolute nuisance to the Bucks’ offense and was definitely a big reason Boston took home the W.
For Milwaukee, it was a tough game to watch. They really never got anything going offensively and that started with a 15-point 1st quarter, which led to a 37-point 1st half, in which they shot just 34% from the field. Boston’s adjustments forced them to play a half court offense for the majority of the game and that’s been a weak point for the Bucks all year.
Despite having some open looks from the outside they struggled to knock down 3’s, making just 9 of 33 attempts. This really affected Giannis’ productivity as it allowed the Celtics to cheat inside and force him into fade-away jumpers rather than getting to the rack. If Milwaukee comes out with the same game-plan on Thursday, they need shooters to flash when Giannis drives and knock down open shots. Otherwise the floor just isn’t going to be open enough for him to score the way we’re used to seeing.
Bledsoe struggled again. I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong with him, but I think he’s just really in his own head right now. It feels like every flaw he’s had this year is being magnified and he just can’t get anything going. Tensions between him and Terry Rozier continue to rise and if this thing goes to a Game 7, they might just start a fist-fight at center court.
Tyler Zeller retained his spot in the starting lineup, but played only 10 minutes. Thon was on the court for 23 minutes tonight, but didn’t have quite the effect he’d had in Games 2 and 3. He registered just 2 points and 2 rebounds with 0 blocks and 0 made 3’s despite 3 attempts.
Milwaukee’s bench wasn’t nearly as helpful tonight as it had been in games past, but Jabari played another solid game, adding 17 points to a fairly stagnant offense and even snagged 4 offensive rebounds. Shabazz Muhammad saw significant minutes for the first time this series, he scored 11 points in 10 minutes and, for a moment, it looked like he was just the spark the team needed to finally get flowing offensively. Delly struggled with Rozier’s pressure and failed to score in 16 minutes of action, and Tony Snell’s shooting woes continued as he went 0-5 from beyond the arc.
Defensively, I thought the Bucks played very well despite a few mental lapses. You can’t complain about much when you hold a team to 92 points and it was honestly the only reason Milwaukee stayed competitive in this one.
When it comes down to it the Bucks need to create better shots in the half-court and they need to knock them down when they’re open. The team shot just under 37% from the field and that’s not going to cut it.
One positive thing we can take away from this is that Boston brought a lot of energy in what was essentially a must win game for them and the Bucks, despite playing their worst game of the series so far, kept it close and had a chance to win at the end. I like Milwaukee’s chances back home and who knows what’ll happen in game 7.
Adjusted Prediction: Bucks in 7
