Milwaukee Bucks 2017-18 Season Review: Thon Maker

Game of the season

With the Bucks having lost the first two games in TD Garden of their first round playoff series with the Boston Celtics, they desperately needed a spark as they returned home for Game 3. A little surprisingly considering how his regular season had played out, it was Thon Maker who stepped up.

Maker had game-changing contributions in both Game 3 and Game 4, taking full advantage of an opportunity that may not have been there for him if it wasn’t for an injury to John Henson.

As he can generally be relied on to do, Maker’s insertion into Game 3 led to an increase in frantic energy, which transformed Milwaukee’s defense as much as anything else.

Maker became the lynchpin of Milwaukee’s defense as he racked up five emphatic blocks and gradually worked his way into the heads of Boston’s young wing duo Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

With Maker helping the Bucks to get stops on the defensive end, while amping up the Bradley Center crowd in the process, he also set the table for a sterling offensive effort.

As Milwaukee’s offense hummed along in what proved to be a 24-point win for the Bucks, Maker wasn’t to be left out as he contributed 14 points. That tally included Maker knocking down shots confidently from deep, matching his single game season-high of three made three-pointers on the big stage.

While there was disappointment that the series ultimately ended in a seven-game loss, the truth is it likely wouldn’t have got that far if not for the play of Maker in Games 3 and 4.