Milwaukee Bucks: Grades from 92-87 Game 5 loss to Boston Celtics

Having fallen behind early, the Milwaukee Bucks could never quite close the gap as they lost Game 5 to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

In what was an ugly, ugly game that played into the hands of the Boston Celtics, the Milwaukee Bucks were close to breaking through on multiple occasions, without ever finding a way to  actually do so.

The trend that had defined the series up until this point continued in Game 5, as the team that finished the first quarter with the lead went on to win the game.

It would be easy to dismiss that as coincidental if it wasn’t for how difficult the Bucks have consistently found it to get back on top throughout the series once the Celtics have built a lead.

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For the most part, the success Milwaukee’s role players had at home over the last two games didn’t translate to the road, backing up one of the older tropes of life in the NBA.

That’s not to say that the Bucks didn’t get help from an unexpected source, though, as a Shabazz Muhammad outburst certainly kept Milwaukee’s hopes alive.

Beyond any difficulty with role players, it was the front line talent that likely hurt the Bucks the most. Khris Middleton continued to deliver and Jabari Parker put in another good showing, but Eric Bledsoe disappointed again and, most importantly, Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled to score.

With all of that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the Bucks’ individual performances from a disappointing Game 5 in Boston.