The Milwaukee Bucks are in an early hole after dropping Game 1 of their second round against the Brooklyn Nets Saturday night.
They looked entirely drained of energy from the opening tip in this matchup but still managed to trail by just two after an all-around abysmal first half showing. Yet, that absence of life carried over into the second half and Brooklyn handed their business throughout the final 24 minutes by securing the 115-107 victory to start the series.
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After a week off following their four-game sweep of the Miami Heat in round one, there was certainly some rust from the Bucks in this matchup with the Nets. This was particularly evident with their brutal 3-point shooting, where they shot a collective 6-for-30 in the contest.
After a grueling effort in Game 1, the rust has hopefully been shaken off for good. If Milwaukee will even up the series tonight in Brooklyn and steal home court, here are three players that must step up.
Milwaukee Bucks: Bryn Forbes must find his stride in Game 2 versus Nets
One of the most pleasant surprises from the Bucks’ first round matchup with the Heat was the stellar play of Bryn Forbes off the bench. Averaging 15 points while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and 48.5 percent from 3-point range, the guard proved to be a lifeline for the team offensively.
Yet, after the lengthy seven-day layoff, it appears that Forbes had lost that momentum in Game 1 with Brooklyn. Forbes struggled mightily on the offensive end by finishing with just five points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field, including 1-of-5 from deep. The guard is certainly not the most upstanding defender on the opposite side of things, which makes it difficult to make an impact when that shot is not dropping.
Off games are doomed to happen for shooters like Forbes, but that did not make it any easier to stomach following such a dynamic series against Miami. With his feet now wet following the week’s rest, hopefully he can find a groove in Game 2 as the team will need more production from their leading man off the bench moving forward. The team will certainly continue encouraging him to let the basketball fly with confidence, but it will be up to Forbes to make it count.