Not even a minute into Game 1, things got very interesting. Brooklyn’s James Harden headed to the locker room with a hamstring injury. Minutes later, Harden was ruled out for the rest of the night. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving stepped up in his absence, leading Brooklyn to a 115-107 victory, and a 1-0 series lead.
Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks Games 1 and 2
Brooklyn Nets Didn’t Miss a Beat
The Nets lost one of their superstars very early into the game, but his teammates made sure it would not be a knockout punch. Head coach Steve Nash made sure his team kept its composure. Nash made the decision to play Durant and Irving heavy minutes. Brooklyn also had some unexpected contributors. Despite losing a key scorer and facilitator, Brooklyn looked like a well-oiled machine for most of the night.
Durant put up 29 points along with 10 rebounds. Kyrie added 25 points with 8 assists. Both stars played above 40 minutes, Kyrie logging the most with 45. Brooklyn’s unsung hero from Game 1 was Blake Griffin. Griffin provided offense, solid defense, and a few hustle plays. He contributed 18 points on 5-9 shooting from behind the arc, along with 14 rebounds.
The Nets also got key performances from Joe Harris, Nicolas Claxton, and Mike James. Harris had 19 points. Mike James added a quiet 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Claxton only had 4 points but he brought a ton of energy and provided a spark for Brooklyn off the bench.
Shooting Woes Plagued Milwaukee
The Bucks had a nightmare shooting night from behind the arc, shooting 6-30 from three-point range. Khris Middleton struggled the most, only scoring 13 points on 6-23 shooting. Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 34 points along with 11 rebounds in only 35 minutes. Milwaukee got a solid performance from Jrue Holiday, who scored 17 points, and added 9 rebounds along with 3 assists. Brook Lopez scored 19 points.
Other than those four, the Bucks did not get any other major offensive contributions. Bobby Portis scored 6 points. P.J. Tucker started off the game relatively hot but ended the game with only 7 points. Sharpshooter Bryn Forbes scored 5 points on 1-5 shooting from behind the arc. Milwaukee just was not able to keep up with the Nets on offense in Game 1.
Nets vs Bucks Game 2 Preview
Bucks Will Hit Their 3s
Every team has an off-shooting night. In Game 2, the Bucks will more than likely not shoot 20% from 3 again. The Bucks are one of the best 3 point shooting teams in the league. Expect for the Bucks’ 3 point shots to fall at a higher rate in Game 2. Only losing by eight points in Game 1, the score may look very different if the Bucks start to knock down their long-range shots.
Monitoring Durant and Irving’s Minutes
Due to Harden’s injury, Brooklyn’s two stars had to play more minutes. Durant played 40 minutes. Kyrie played a game-high 45 minutes. It will be interesting to see if Steve Nash will continue to allow them to play so many minutes. Harden’s status for the remainder of the series is unknown, so KD and Kyrie may have to continue to play heavy minutes in order for Brooklyn to be competitive. In the coming games, KD’s past Achilles injury may become a factor. Will he be able to consistently put up big numbers while playing heavy minutes?
Coach Bud Needs to Play Giannis More
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer’s rotations were very questionable in Game 1. Giannis only played 35 minutes. To compare, Blake Griffin also played the same amount. Milwaukee has a prime opportunity to steal a game in Brooklyn, it will likely depend on their shot-making ability, and Giannis’ minutes. Coach Budenholzer needs to have his star player on the court more. It’s the playoffs. It’s now or never. The Bucks shouldn’t miss an opportunity to win a game because their best player is not playing enough minutes.
Which Supporting Cast Will Show Up
Brooklyn got huge games from members of their supporting cast. Milwaukee barely got any contributions from their bench. Each team’s supporting cast will be a big factor in Game 2. Someone has to be a spark coming off the Bucks bench, all the production can’t come from the starters. The Nets will need the same production from their bench, and they’ll need Griffin to play as he did in Game 1.
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