A quarter is better than nothing, and based on how the Milwaukee Bucks have gone after the Orlando Magic since Game 2’s tip on Thursday night, you might have thought that their win in the series too could count for double, triple or , heck, even quadruple.
OK, let’s move on to the semi-finals of the conference …
Not so fast. The Bucks did what they had to do to save face, calm their feelings and avoid the unthinkable. They played harder than in Race 1, certainly a source of pride for a team with championship ambitions. They attacked the Magic on the defensive, this time interrupting what had gone so well two days ago. They built a big lead early and protected it late – again, admirable but nothing exciting from the bubble, not in a number 1 versus number 8 showdown.
But Milwaukee let Orlando stick around and ultimately feel good about himself, considering the mistakes and mistakes that Magic has made. This is a missed opportunity in a series that is now best of five, against a loser with nothing to lose, trying to cover an All-Star – Khris Middleton – who is still MIA.
The Bucks returned fire by getting to work on defense, calling Eric Bledsoe to chase and torment Orlando’s Markelle Fultz as the All-Defensive talent he is. Bledsoe was active instead of passive this time, getting a hold, stealing and generally under the skin of Magic players in the first quarter.
Those 12 minutes of opening were all you’d expect in a top-seeded mismatch. Orlando has only made three baskets out of 23 shots, including 1 out of 11 from 3 points. The Bucks put all their energy into that final, shot 38.5% (2 of 9 from the arc) and had six turnovers, and still lead 25-13.
Let’s analyze the rest though: in the last three quarters, the teams were essentially equal (86-83, Bucks). Orlando scored 30 points in both the second and third quarters, crossing the defensive red line for Bucks manager Mike Budenholzer. Meanwhile, they overtook the Bucks in the second half.
Milwaukee felt good afterwards because this is a bottom line deal. No excuses for the win, right? Also, some guys who hadn’t shone recently have managed to do it. A sense of balance has been restored since Tuesday.
The Bucks, after all, scored 111 points, about the same as Game 1 (110). But instead of giving up 122, they stopped Magic at 94. Twenty-six point swings are good for the soul of a defense-oriented team.
“They were really good. We made a lot of quick shots early in the game, “said Orlando manager Steve Clifford, who knows how to get around the strong defense.” Against them, you have to get the ball moving. We didn’t do it soon … Their ball pressure, they were more into us. “
The Bucks aren’t just competing against Eastern Conference rivals in this tournament – they’re facing expectations and ghosts of themselves. They’ve gone from regular season glories in 2018-19 to playoff disappointments, back to high beams and now to something to be defined.
“It’s a bit of a different mentality,” said reserve winger Pat Connaughton, indispensable on Thursday with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots that helped keep Magic’s distance.
“We had that chip on our shoulder last year because no one believed in us,” Connaughton said. “This year, according to the outside world, we are the favorites. So we have to get back to that chip mentality on our shoulder … that we started this culture at the beginning of last season. “
Connaughton, Kyle Korver and Brook Lopez made the Bucks almost whole in attack by taking and making available the shots made available by the necessary Orlando obsession that stopped Giannis Antetokounmpo. The whole strategy of building a wall is only effective if a) the Bucks star is forcing his own offense rather than going to the perimeter, or b) those snipers are gone.
This was a fair combination, which allowed the Bucks to recognize each other.
“Obviously I don’t like seeing that wall. I like playing 1 on 1, “Antetokounmpo said.” But you have to play with what defense gives you. “
