Milwaukee Bucks: Player grades from Game 3 victory over Brooklyn Nets

JRUE HOLIDAY. B-. This grade would have been far worse had Jrue Holiday not saved the day in the closing moments of this contest to elevate the Bucks to victory. The guard finished with just nine points on an abysmal 4-of-14 shooting, but he came through when the team needed him most by hitting a clutch layup with 11 seconds remaining to give the Bucks a one-point lead. Despite his late-game heroics, there is no questioning that Holiday was awful throughout the game leading up to that point. He could not get anything to drop with consistency, but all will be forgotten after hitting the one that mattered most. Hopefully Holiday can regain his shooting stroke ahead of a pivotal Game 4 on Sunday, as the team will need his scoring contributions.. PG. Milwaukee Bucks

A+. After playing just flat-out terrible throughout the first two games in this series, Khris Middleton showed up like a man possessed last night. Scoring 15 points in the first quarter alone, Middleton established an immediate rhythm and did everything possible to keep this team afloat, despite how turbulent of a ride it proved to be. After knocking down two crucial free throws to put the Bucks up by three in the closing seconds, Middleton finished with a game-high 34 points, 15 rebounds, and a single assists for the night. Although he did commit three turnovers, that will be swept under the rug given how welcoming it was to see him finally regain his shooting stroke. He must play like this moving forward for the Bucks to stand a chance.. SG. Milwaukee Bucks. KHRIS MIDDLETON

C+. P.J. Tucker found himself right in the spotlight as he went face-to-face with Kevin Durant after he appeared to object to a foul call. The two exchanged some not-so-friendly words before having to be separated and earning double technicals. Tucker has been playing pestering defense on Durant to that point, and it proved impactful as Durant finished the ballgame shooting just 11-of-28 from the floor, including a missed jumper at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime. Despite picking up four personal fouls during his 33 minutes played, it was clear that the bruiser was having an impact on this game defensively whenever he was on the floor. Although he finished scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting, three of those misses coming from deep, Tucker played some solid basketball in last night’s contest.. SF. Milwaukee Bucks. P.J. TUCKER

B+. This was undoubtedly a challenging performance to judge. On the positive side, Giannis Antetokounmpo finally became aggressive and tried to take over this basketball game. Like Middleton, he had 15 points following the first quarter and appeared to be playing like his MVP self. He would go on and finish the game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and two assists in 43 minutes played. As for the negatives, Antetokounmpo’s shot selection was certainly questionable in this one, particularly by heaving eight 3-pointers and making only one. Although it proved clutch given the final score, there was little reason for him to continuously chuck up these shots rather than take shots that better fit his game. Sticking with shooting, Giannis was 4-of-9 from the line in what has been a terrible series for him shooting from the charity stripe. Lastly, he finished this contest with five turnovers added to his hefty total thus far. Yet, Antetokounmpo deserves his props for doing his part in this victory after struggling mightily in Game 2.. PF. Milwaukee Bucks. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

B-. This was one of the ugliest performances offensively from Brook Lopez all season. Despite having a size advantage against the Nets down low, the big man finished with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting, the only make ironically coming from 3-point territory. While his shooting struggles persisted, Lopez proved to be an enforcer on the defensive end by tallying six blocks on the night. He protected the paint to perfection for the Bucks while also snatching a steal and hauling in an impressive 11 rebounds. Although the offense was far from ideal, Lopez’s sizeable presence down low undoubtedly helped Milwaukee earn this hard-fought victory.. C. Milwaukee Bucks. BROOK LOPEZ