Milwaukee Bucks: Player grades from 111-96 Game 2 win over Orlando Magic

ERIC BLEDSOE. B-. With 13 points and seven assists on 50 percent shooting from the field, this was another largely solid playoff outing for Eric Bledsoe. The Bucks’ point guard did a great job of picking his moments to drive and took full advantage when he did get to the rim. The results on his pull-up jumpers can still leave a lot to be desired, four turnovers is a little on the high side for Bled, and he was taken out of the game late as Bud looked to stabilize things, but the Bucks would take this steady and generally reliable version of Bledsoe in a heartbeat if it could be guaranteed for the remainder of the postseason.. Guard. Milwaukee Bucks

B-. With Orlando’s wings putting up horribly inefficient shooting numbers, Wesley Matthews’ positive impact was clear for all to see. In addition to his ever reliable defensive contributions, Wes also stuck to his role offensively. That meant that all five of the veteran’s shot attempts came from deep, and making 2-of-5 on those shots made for a positive return.. Guard. Milwaukee Bucks. WESLEY MATTHEWS

D-. Make it back-to-back stinkers for Khris Middleton to start the postseason. The only thing sparing the Bucks’ two-time All-Star from an F grade on this occasion was some nice reads he made on the ball en route to his six assists. Other than that, this was a horror show. Middleton finished with only two points, and perhaps even more concerning was the fact he attempted just eight shots in total. The Bucks need so much more from Khris. The positive on that front was that Middleton’s head didn’t look to drop, with him instead clearly taking joy in the team’s bounceback win, and being to first to encourage teammates or talk down their frustrations with the officials in the final moments. Ahead of Game 3, it may well be the turn of the rest of the Bucks to help pick Khris back up, but he personally needs to do a lot more too.. Forward. Milwaukee Bucks. KHRIS MIDDLETON

Forward. Milwaukee Bucks. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO. B+. Giannis Antetokounmpo got the job done. We certainly haven’t seen his best through these first two games, but he’s finding ways to make plays in spite of the defense that’s designed solely to try and stop him. It took a little bit of time for Giannis to get his scoring going, but he got there eventually as the game wore on. His final line of 28 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists certainly grabs the attention, but with seven turnovers and foul issues lingering, there’s room for Antetokounmpo to be even better again. Just as anyone would expect, Giannis is locked in and engaged, though, and he looks ready to bring the Bucks back to something much closer to their best.

B+. Nikola Vucevic went off again, but the Bucks are perfectly content to live with that if they can keep his teammates under control. That was the case on this occasion, and although Brook could definitely do more to slow Vucevic down, his opposite number’s 32 points weren’t solely a reflection on him. In fact, an early steal and piece of disruption from Brook in the passing lane helped to set the tone for a much more ordered and improved defensive effort overall. With Brook marshaling the defense, the Bucks forced the Magic away from their preferred options much more frequently. And offensively, Brook returned to his red-hot seeding game form for good measure too. Four made triples provided a nice boon as part of his 20 points overall, and Brook proved particularly reliable in making those late to prevent the finish from getting too nervy.. Center. Milwaukee Bucks. BROOK LOPEZ