Defending Giannis
One tactic that Popovich won’t change going into Monday night’s tilt with the Bucks is the way with which the Spurs will defend the paint and cut it off in a way to limit superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The reigning MVP finished with his fewest points in the paint for a game this season Saturday night and the Bucks’ collective paint production took a hit where they scored 40 paint points, tying the third-fewest they’ve scored this season.
Of course, Antetokounmpo still did plenty of damage with his 3-point marksmanship and canned 15 of his 18 free throw attempts as he led all scorers with 32 points to come away with one of the most efficient scoring performances of his seven-year career. And the same applied to the Bucks overall where they hit 37.8 percent of their 45 3-point attempts last time out and buried the Spurs to earn their 32nd victory of the season.
Milwaukee managed to generate plenty of success offensively, despite the fact their paint production came in lower than the season average of 51.5 paint points per game. If that should be the case again Monday night, we’ll just have to see how their long range shooting will hold up.
The Bucks’ final meeting of the season with the San Antonio Spurs will tip off at 7.30 pm central time Monday night.