James Harden went down with an injury a minute into this series and the Bucks would have been licking their lips.
Fast forward to Game 3, and the Bucks are coming off one of their most embarrassing playoff performances in franchise history, as they look to get back on track in Milwaukee tomorrow.
Kevin Durant put on another masterclass (12-18 from the field), posting 32 Points, 4 Rebounds and 6 Assists in a 39 point route of the Bucks in Brooklyn on Tuesday (who at one point led by 50!).
Things you never think you’d hear two games into this series.
Blake Griffin has done a number on Giannis on the defensive end of the floor!
Blake has suddenly looked athletic again on offence (poor Detroit) and has given them incredibly solid production without the services of Jeff Green.
Khris Middleton has also gone missing over the first two games of the series, and if he isn’t firing from the land of plenty, the paint shrinks just that much more for Giannis.
Middleton went 7-20 from the field in Game 2 (3-8 from 3), and to give the Bucks any chance of winning on Friday morning, they need at least 25+ from their other star.
Giannis and Middleton posted big numbers in their home match ups with Miami in the 1st round, and if this team is any chance of winning this game tomorrow, they’ll have to combine for close to 60 to keep up with KD and Kyrie!
Milwaukee are far too good a team to fall in a 3-0 hole, so you’d expect them to bounce back here in game 3, but they also need their bench production to get back to where it was in the Miami series.
Bobby Portis was brilliant at the back end of the season and in the Miami series, but has given them nothing in the opening two games of this series.
As the saying goes, Brooklyn will be looking to kick their opponent while they’re down, as giving this Bucks team a sniff in this series will be the last thing they’d want, especially if Harden is due to miss the remainder of this series (or at least till late).
It’s mentioned a lot, but no team has ever come back from 3-0 down, so as much as this is a must win for Milwaukee, Brooklyn will be looking to put the nail in the coffin to their Eastern Conference rivals and set their sights on the East Finals.
Expect the crowd to be rowdy in Milwaukee tomorrow, and the start to this game for the home team will go a long way in deciding the outcome.
We’ve seen Utah and Phoenix thrive off their home crowd over the course of the playoffs, and Milwaukee have one of the best home crowds in the league, so look for this one to be loud from the get go!
Bring on a huge Game 3 tomorrow!
Bauky