Milwaukee Bucks: Player grades from 107-96 Game 4 win over Nets

B+. Pat Connaughton was the only player in the second unit to crack 20 minutes in Game 4, and he made the most of every minute. The swingman chipped in eight points offensively, courtesy of two triples and a pair of shots at the foul line. He also worked as a facilitator by dishing out three assists as the Bucks made sure the ball was moving this time around. Yet, perhaps the bigger impact from Milwaukee’s swiss army knife came on the defensive end, where he tallied four steals and two blocked shots. Connaughton had to briefly leave the contest after catching an elbow from Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, leaving him bloodied in the face. Rather than sitting out the remainder of the contest, Connaughton got the laceration patched up and took the court once more. The guard left it all on the floor in this game as he stuffed the stat sheet in a pivotal Game 4.. SG. Milwaukee Bucks. PAT CONNAUGHTON

B. The Bucks are still waiting for the Bryn Forbes that went scorched earth in the first round series against the Miami Heat, but he proved impactful in his limited Game 4 minutes. Forbes finished the game with 10 points, shooting 2-of-6 from behind the arc and 4-of-5 from the free throw line in only 13 minutes of action. His limitations on the defensive side of the ball, paired with his shooting struggles, have limited his playing time in this series thus far, but hopefully, seeing some shots fall in the net can get Forbes going moving forward. Forbes showed yesterday that his confidence meter is still at the top when it comes to letting it fly from deep and the Bucks will need that mentality.. SG. Milwaukee Bucks. BRYN FORBES

C-. It was far from Bobby Portis’ best outing off the Bucks’ bench as he surprisingly finished scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting from the floor in 11-and-a-half minutes of action. Despite his oftentimes instant offense failing to click in this matchup, Portis surprisingly impacted this game with his defense, something he is far from known for. From the moment he checked in, the big man was actively defensively, totaling two blocked shots in his limited minutes. While the matchup afoot often presents difficulty in playing Portis such hefty rotational minutes, it is a guarantee that he will make the most of his time on the floor whenever he plays, whether it be for 11-and-a-half minutes or 40 minutes.. C. Milwaukee Bucks. BOBBY PORTIS

INC. Milwaukee’s end of the bench saw some time in this matchup, with the most surprising player to earn some time being Elijah Bryant. The guard has not played much for the Bucks, but between a brief stint early on and the Bucks needing someone to play while Connaughton was being tended to, Bryant got the call. Yet, he left much to desire by finishing with zero points, missing both of his shots from behind the arc in just under six minutes of action. Thanasis Antetokounmpo played nearly four minutes in this one, his only recorded stat of the night being a personal foul. Still, he brought that energetic presence to that floor that has made him a household name in Milwaukee. Aside from that, Milwaukee’s only other reserve to score a basket was Axel Toupane, who knocked down a triple late in the game. Given how little these players saw the floor, it would be unfair to critique their performances.. . Milwaukee Bucks. END OF THE BENCH