The Bucks Are Hitting the Playoff Wall Again
Milwaukee spent the offseason retooling its roster to get the team over the postseason hump, just for the Nets to take a 2-0 series lead in Round 2. Is there still time for Giannis and Co. to right the ship?
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The Nets were ready for the two-time MVP on Monday, lying in wait. From the Bucks’ opening possessions, primary defender Blake Griffin bodied up Giannis on his post-ups and drives. Help defenders like Kevin Durant and Bruce Brown dug down and slid into place to make sure he never saw a clear path to the rim. Brooklyn didn’t always build a three-defenders-with-arms-outstretched-across-the-foul-line wall, but the intent remained clear: make the league’s most ferocious rim attacker settle for turnarounds, fadeaways, and pull-ups; live with the makes; and if he does drive, send him to the foul line to earn points there. (Through two games: 2-for-10 from the stripe. Woof.)