Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gary Trent Jr. did the heavy lifting in Game 3; who is next?
The Milwaukee Bucks were able to stave off disaster in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers; even better, they turned in a strong Game 3 second half performance to reel the series back to 2-1 while generating a bit of positive momentum. But basketball is a fickle sport. Any drop in intensity could spell major trouble. Can Milwaukee keep the fire alive at home again in Game 4?
Where We’re At
With their backs against the wall heading into Game 3—a defeat there is as close to game, set, match as it gets in sports—plenty rested on head coach Doc Rivers’ shoulders. Should he adjust was not even a bit in question. How would he adjust was the unknown.
Well, he certainly adjusted, and not just with the starting lineup. My colleague Finn Kuehl did a wonderful job outlining all the changes Doc implemented here, but I think it can be summed up as placing emphasis on speed, shooting, and perimeter defense over size, length, and the zone drop. Gary Trent Jr. re-entered the starting lineup for the first time since the early portion of the season and rewarded the team with 37 points (11/16 from the floor, 9/12 from three), 4 steals, and 3 rebounds while enabling Milwaukee’s switches to function a little more smoothly. Taurean Prince, Brook Lopez, and Kyle Kuzma saw their minutes dissipate while AJ Green and Jericho Sims received more burn off the bench. Combine that with another ho-hum (read: how is it possible for this to be ho hum?) 37 point, 12 rebound, 6 assist night from Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Bucks finally hit pay dirt.
Now comes the counterpunch from the Pacers. Rick Carlisle is no slouch and the Bucks haven’t necessarily found the silver bullet to solve all their problems—they were, indeed, down 10 points at the half in Game 3. Whatever he has cooked up, though, could be stymied if Milwaukee can continue finding players in the rotation who contribute above their normal station on a nightly basis in this series.
For example, even a semblance of a pulse from Kevin Porter Jr. (who registered a helpful 1 point on 0/5 shooting, although adding 6 assists and 4 rebounds, to be fair) and a return to form for Damian Lillard — who is averaging 10.5 points (.240/.188/.857), 6.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds on 34.5 minutes through two games—would be a massive boost. It is a live series right now; a Game 4 win for Milwaukee would turn it into a three game drag race for all the (first-round) glory.
Injury Report
The report remains the same for Milwaukee with only Tyler Smith (left ankle sprain) on there, although he’s moved up to questionable instead of out. Indiana will still miss Isaiah Jackson (torn achilles recovery) and now has Benedict Mathurin (abdominal contusion) as questionable as well.
Player To Watch
Gary Trent Jr. was the hero in Game 3, rising to the moment and helping the ever-reliable Giannis Antetokounmpo. I’ve a feeling the “Player To Watch” section will continue to serve as a sort of late trailing highlight of which role player stepped up in the previous effort. Bobby Portis had a great Game 2 and was my PTW for Game 3. Trent did the heavy lifting in G3 and is now the PTW for G4. Don’t be shocked if the responsibility falls to another role player entirely, though. Still, Trent has been reliable at minimum throughout this series, so another strong outing from him can set the team’s floor.
How To Watch
TNT and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 8:30 p.m. CDT.
Playback Streaming
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