This is called sending a message. To the whole league. The Bucks, seeded number 3, who had pulled off the forceps a first victory Saturday (109-107) after extra time, retained the good fighting spirit essential for the spring games. Unlike a team of the Heat in distress, it is no longer presented yet in terms of drawing on this extra soul.
The most successful first period of their season
One had only to see the crestfallen face of their president Pat Riley behind his mask in the stands, to understand how the Floridians missed out on this match number 2, in defense in particular.
We must obviously give the credit to Milwaukee who certainly benefited from it, but certainly delivering the most successful first period of his season, punctuated by the score of 78-51, in particular fueled by 15 three-point baskets (out of 29 attempted ), record franchise bonus.
?? FINAL SCORE THREAD ??
Giannis, @Bucks drain an #NBAPlayoffs franchise-record 22 threes to take a 2-0 lead! Series shifts to Miami on Thu. at 7:30pm/et on TNT.
Bryn Forbes: 22 PTS, 6 3PM
Khris Middleton: 17 PTS (4-5 FGM)
Pat Connaughton: 15 PTS (5 3PM)
Jrue Holiday: 15 AST pic.twitter.com/NiwWpRgOfI– NBA (@NBA) May 25, 2021
In the end, the franchise of Wisconsin, in search of a second NBA coronation 50 years after the first ring gleaned by the legendary Lew Alcindor, future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Oscar Robertson, planted 22 long-distance banderillas (out of 53) , including six by the astonishing Bryn Forbes, particularly profitable off the bench (22 pts).
Soccer ball
In these favorable conditions, Giannis Antetokounmpo had no trouble making his power speak (31 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals), despite two nasty tackles, certainly without damage, inflicted in the 3rd quarter by Trevor Ariza and Nemanja Bjelica, who obviously got the wrong sport. Standing up the second time, the Greek Freak
confused him basketball with soccer ball, doing a little series of juggling for fun, which delighted his fans.
READ ALSO. NBA. Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers fall to Phoenix, Utah surprised by Memphis
Miami side, very little can be saved from this big underperformance, if not the futile efforts of the substitutes to wake up their troops, Goran Dragic (16 pts) and Dewayne Dedmon (17 pts, 7 rebounds).
Milwaukee is yet to qualify, but is doing whatever it takes to get revenge on the Heat. Last season, in the Orlando bubble, Jimmy Butler and his family had stepped on diminished Bucks (4-1), with Antetokounmpo on one leg, and the mind elsewhere after their historic boycott of the match, for the fight against racial injustice.
The play-offs continue in the evening with the N.2 game between Denver and Portland, the Nuggets being forced to react after the loss of the first meeting.
Jokic s’énerve
In the other meeting of the evening, Denver equalized with a victory everywhere against Portland, by winning with authority on his floor (128-109), in the wake of Nikola Jokic (38 pts, 8 rebounds, 5 assists). A rare thing, obviously linked to the play-offs context, the Serbian interior, so phlegmatic usually, strongly criticized an arbitration decision against him, while his team was on the right track.
The Nuggets, constantly ahead of the score, had indeed peaked their lead at twenty units (99-79) just before the end of the 3rd quarter, also taking advantage of the impact of Michael Porter Jr (18 pts) and d ‘a bench in tune, like Paul Millsap (15 pts, 7 rebounds, 3 assists).
38 points on 15-20 shooting for ??
Nikola Jokic, @nuggets tie the series at 1-1.. Game 3 is Thursday at 10:30pm/et on NBA TV. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/zWFbDsL8qc
– NBA (@NBA) May 25, 2021
The difference compared to the first game is that we created open shots and defended very well. It was a real collective effort. Saturday was tough for us. There we made it hard for them
, Jokic commented.
This collective demonstration contrasted with the solo performance of Damian Lillard, still author of 42 points and 10 assists, who only had CJ McCollum to help him offensively (21 pts).
It was in defense, however, that the Blazers sinned, jostled in terms of physical engagement by opponents aware of the importance of reviving, before two next duels in Oregon.
– .
