Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Reflecting on the streak

MILWAUKEE, WI - DECEMBER 11: Milwaukee Bucks huddles up before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 11, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).
MILWAUKEE, WI - DECEMBER 11: Milwaukee Bucks huddles up before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 11, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 1: (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 1: (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)

With the Bucks and Lakers facing each other in a potential Finals matchup, what aspect, matchup, or prediction are you looking forward to seeing the most going into Thursday night?

DL: I’m looking forward to seeing what Giannis can do up against LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The defending league MVP has been playing at all-time level up to this point in the season. His best performances seem to come when the team needs him the most. Given the importance of this game, I fully expect to see him dominate on both ends of the floor. It’s time for him to show LeBron that he’s ready to take over as the face of the NBA.

JT: Hopefully Anthony Davis’ ankle, which forced him out of the Lakers’ previous game against the Pacers, will hold up so we can see a full strength Lakers team. But I think what I’m looking forward to the most, and this will certainly veer into cliche territory, is how the Bucks will be able to respond in high pressure situations.

Of course, they’ve done a great job of being able to bounce back and respond from poor stretches of play, off nights and taking the best punch from opposing teams, like we saw last week in their comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies. And they’re obviously coming off an 18-game winning streak where it increasingly felt like maintaining that mark brought a different kind of pressure all together than going out and playing.

In the aftermath of their Conference Finals collapse, where the Bucks simply wilted under pressure and made uncharacteristic mistakes at crucial moments, being able to overcome such mistakes and not letting them affect the next play is a key step this team will have to take, given everything they’re striving to accomplish this season.

They showed that in their meeting with the LA Clippers, before they blew open the doors that Friday night in Milwaukee, but I doubt we see that again with the other L.A. team this time around.

BO: I’m looking forward to seeing how well the Bucks’ defense can contain the Lakers star power. It’s going to be a true strength on strength matchup, because the Lakers are tied with the Bucks for the most points in the paint per game, but we know that protecting the paint is what the Bucks are best at.

With the lack of shooting on the Lakers’ roster, if the Bucks are able to shut down the paint, I really like their chances of winning this one. That’s no easy task though with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the other side. Brook Lopez will have to have his A-game in this one.

If you’re in Wisconsin and you’re able to get to this game, do it. The atmosphere in the arena for that game is going to be like no other regular season game. Hopefully the crowd can give the Bucks the advantage to put them over the top.

BR: I’m very excited about what this game has in store on Thursday. Fresh off a streak-ending loss to a Mavericks team lacking their star player, I think Giannis and the rest of this Bucks team come out focused and determined. If there’s one thing we know about this team, it’s that they simply refuse to lose back-to-backs!

I’m very intrigued with who Coach Bud decides to put on LeBron defensively. While Middleton seems like the logical choice, Wesley Matthews might be a sneaky good option. Matthews is a proven commodity guarding some of the league’s premier wings, despite his size. Giannis will guard AD if he’s healthy, and with Brook protecting the paint, I think the Bucks have a solid chance of limiting a Lakers squad that thrives in the paint.

AM: As I spoke about on the most recent episode of the Win in 6 pod, I’m very much into seeing Matthews taking on that LeBron matchup too, much like he did against Kawhi Leonard. More generally, it seems Giannis and Anthony Davis are virtual guarantees to spend the majority of this game directly matched up. That’s exciting, and I hope neither coach goes out of their way to prevent it from happening.

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