As the Milwaukee Bucks face the most important game of their season in Thursday’s Game 5 against the Toronto Raptors, maintaining composure will be essential.
By Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks could be heading back to the Finals for the first time since 1974, although you could be forgiven for forgetting about that right now.
A strong 2-0 start to their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Toronto Raptors made that outcome appear to be more of a likelihood than a mere possibility, yet two demoralizing losses later, it’s safe to say the momentum has switched entirely.
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Still, the Bucks have what it takes to flip the script. Having already taken care of business at home on two occasions, there’s no reason for Milwaukee to believe they can’t do the same twice more, if required.
In order to have any chance of doing that, though, some things will have to change for the Bucks.
Strategically, those changes could include Malcolm Brogdon returning to the starting lineup in place of Nikola Mirotic, running more pick-and-roll with Giannis Antetokounmpo to get the offense firing, and reining in a defense that has erred just the wrong side of aggressiveness with over-helping in recent games.
What might even be more important for the Bucks is how they approach the remaining games of the series in terms of mindset, though.
First and foremost, the Bucks need to look to reset. They can’t let the ill-effects of Toronto linger or influence what happens upon their return home. What that doesn’t mean, though, is that Games 3 and 4 should be disregarded completely. In fact, one of the key differences between the Bucks’ wins and losses was the obvious drop-off in focus and composure once the series switched to Canada, and it would be in the players’ interest to recognize that.
Milwaukee faced their first real tests, and in a hostile and raucous environment, they were clearly flustered.
It told in the turnovers in Game 3, the over-helping in Game 4, the jumpiness following every Marc Gasol made three-pointer, and the host of questionable decisions that seemed to appear out of nowhere for a team that hasn’t fallen into those traps throughout the year.
Perhaps the magnitude of the opportunity in front of them has led to over-excitement or a rush of anxiety, but after getting knocked down on the road, any chance of Milwaukee success will hinge on them clearing their heads for what remains of the series.
Tied to all of this is the fact that the Bucks are as good as everyone believes they are, they’re as good as they themselves believe they are, but if they can’t muster up the calm, smarts and determination to match the Raptors in what remains of the series, all of that may well count for nothing.
With the margins as slim as they increasingly look to be in this series, execution is emerging as one of the standout elements of what lies ahead for both teams. The gameplan becomes irrelevant if you don’t do what’s required to play to it.
On Thursday night, the Bucks will need to be locked in and comfortable in who they are again. If they can do that, a spot in the Finals will be within touching distance.