Under pressure
While they hit a bump in the road following Game 1 of their second round series with the Boston Celtics that ended up serving as a mulligan, the Bucks have hit uncharted waters following a regular season and a playoff run that featured very few hiccups.
Milwaukee’s rightly been recognized as a fixture of consistency all year long and their ability to bounce back following their brief lapses throughout their 2018-19 campaign was remarkable in its own right.
Now after dropping back-to-back losses for just the second time this year, the Bucks are searching for answers to questions they’ve rarely, if at all, had to ask at any point throughout the year.
Doing so, with a trip to their first NBA Finals in 45 years on the line and going against the team that stood only two wins behind them in the regular season standings, obviously brings a great deal of scrutiny and difficulties, the likes of which we’re seeing right now. Bucks reserve wing Pat Connaughton spoke to exactly that following Game 4 as ESPN’s Malika Andrews asked and transcribed:
The Bucks aren’t practicing today. Last night, I asked Pat Connaughton if the feeling after the Bucks’ Game 4 loss was comparable to any other point this season. He told me that this is a “new space.” His full comments: pic.twitter.com/J6HV98dq4r
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) May 22, 2019
There will certainly be plenty of focus on adjustments, both tactically and potentially in the rotation and starting lineup, and Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer will hold his cards close to his vest before revealing any changes he may make heading into Thursday night.
But for the Bucks to prevail and continue to hold order in their series, they better be prepared for any and all of the pressure situations that Game 5 is shaping to serve up.