Bucks stop here: One-man show not enough
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his dud left knee bulldozed through the Phoenix Suns defence for most of yesterday’s game, once again giving the Milwaukee Bucks more than they could have dreamed in the NBA Finals.
The problem for Milwaukee is he’s not getting enough help.
Antetokounmpo finished with 42 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks but couldn’t push the Bucks past the Suns, who took a 2-0 series with their 118-108 win.
The one-man gutsy show was impressive but ultimately for nought.
“When he’s got it rolling like that and he sees a crowd, we’ve got to be able to help him out,” Bucks forward Khris Middleton said.
Milwaukee’s two-time MVP missed the final two games of the Eastern Conference finals with a hyperextended left knee.
But Antetokounmpo made a quick recovery and surprisingly played in Game 1, finishing with 20 points and 17 rebounds. In yesterday’s Game 2, he was even better.
Antetokounmpo was able to finish with his usual array of athletic moves around the basket. In the third quarter, he nearly single-handedly kept the Bucks in the game, scoring 20 points while aggressively crashing the offensive glass. That was the most points for one player in a quarter in a finals game since 1993.
“I think he wants us to lean on him hard,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. “He wants as much responsibility as we can give him. That’s part of what makes him great.”
But the box score was pretty ugly for the rest of the Bucks.
Jrue Holiday scored 17 points but needed 21 shots to get there. Middleton was non-existent for much of the night, finishing with 11 points on 5 of 16 shooting. Brook Lopez had a quiet night. Other than Pat Connaughton’s 14 points, the Bucks’ bench didn’t contribute much.
When Antetokounmpo was on the court, the Bucks out-scored the Suns by three. In the eight minutes he didn’t play, Milwaukee were outscored by 13.
While the Bucks were struggling, the Suns’ role players were making the difference. Mikal Bridges had 27 points. Jae Crowder had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Cam Johnson hit two three-pointers.
Phoenix’s balance is beating the one-man heroics of Antetokounmpo.
That almost certainly has to change if the Bucks want to make this a series. Game 3 is on Monday in Milwaukee.