The Milwaukee Bucks produced one of their best performances of the bubble so far to pick up a comprehensive Game 3 win against the Orlando Magic.
At long last, something resembling the league-best Milwaukee Bucks came to play in Orlando.
After a steady and professional response to their shock opening loss in Game 2, the Bucks came back with a performance in Game 3 that represented real progress. The kind of which will be essential for Milwaukee’s overall championship hopes.
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The offense was firing with three-pointers dropping in, the defense locked in at a level it hasn’t since before the season was suspended, and the result was the Bucks found a collective rhythm.
Giannis Antetokounmpo produced a superstar performance, Khris Middleton found some welcome rhythm, and overall Milwaukee was left with the kind of encouraging effort that should set the tone for the challenges still to come.
After a disastrous start to the series, the Bucks now look ready to take care of business and move on.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the key takeaways from the Bucks’ Game 3 victory.
Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 121-107 Game 3 win over Orlando Magic – Giannis hits his stride
Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly hasn’t been one of the Bucks that’s been struggling the most in Orlando, but there have been issues with his play all the same.
Antetokounmpo has been racking up offensive fouls, turning the ball over at a high frequency, and not necessarily making shots at his usually absurd level of efficiency. Or at least that had been the case prior to Saturday.
In Game 3, Antetokounmpo compiled one of his best playoff performances to date, and provided a template for the kind of game that the Bucks will need more of from him as the postseason rolls on.
Giannis has had gaudier and more bombastic stat lines than the 35 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists that he finished with on Saturday, but given the circumstances and the attention sent his way by the Magic, this was certainly something special.
Really the most spectacular element of Giannis’ play was just how controled and tidy it all was. There were only two fouls, and only two turnovers, just as there were only two missed field goal attempts. Giannis made threes, he made the bulk of his free throws, and he didn’t bat an eye when he airballed attempts at both.
With 12-of-14 shooting from the field, this was a 31-minute masterclass from the MVP.
Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 121-107 Game 3 win over Orlando Magic – Khris finds a spark
After a truly dismal first two games of the playoffs, there was understandable concern among Bucks fans about the play of All-Star forward Khris Middleton.
Having attempted just eight shots, and made only two of those, in Game 2, the Bucks desperately needed not just an improved version of Middleton but a considerably more aggressive version of him too.
Looking for shots early in the first quarter, Middleton’s 0-of-3 start wasn’t ideal, but it showed the intent and purpose necessary for him to eventually regain some semblance of his form.
Soon after, Middleton’s shot began to fall both from three-point range and his mid-range comfort zones, which instantly added an extra layer of fluidity to the Bucks’ offense given that one of its greatest threats were restored.
With 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting, this was by no means Middleton’s best effort, but it was a very welcome improvement considering where he was coming from. To put that in perspective, Middleton’s Game 3 scoring tally surpassed his combined totals from the first two games.
Now, the hope will just be that it’s onwards and upwards from here for Khris.
Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from 121-107 Game 3 win over Orlando Magic – Defense steps up a gear
It wasn’t perfect as an element of complacency certainly slipped in when the Bucks found themselves with a 30-point lead, but there was still little doubt that this game included the best defense the Bucks have played since the season resumed at Walt Disney World Resort.
As the Bucks found their way into the paint effortlessly on offense, they held the Magic to just 26 points inside, amounting to a 24-point Bucks edge in that department. Similarly, although the Bucks’ fast break offense didn’t click into gear, holding the Magic to just 11 points in transition represented a much healthier return.
Nikola Vucevic was given plenty of open three-point looks, but the bet that the Bucks make in that regard is paying off. A 33 percent long-range shooter such as Vucevic will eventually get unsettled if allowed to shoot over and over again from deep, and his rhythm was certainly disrupted in what ended up being a 2-of-8 showing from deep for him.
With the Bucks’ defense on point positionally, it allowed more room for individual gambles and freedom for plays, with the likes of Giannis, Eric Bledsoe, and Wesley Matthews all starring.
If the Bucks can maintain this standard, the Magic won’t stand a chance. Even more so, it would make the Bucks incredibly tough to beat in the rounds to come.
The Bucks and Magic are back at it for Game 3 at 12.30pm CT on Monday.