Milwaukee Bucks: Grades from 114-108 Game 5 loss to Brooklyn Nets

PAT CONNAUGHTON. C. After a stellar outing in Game 4, Pat Connaughton saw plenty of time for the Bucks in this pivotal Game 5. The guard played a whopping 32 minutes, and overall, he looked solid statistically by finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, and an assist and block each. Not only was he hitting shots, but the high-flyer was making all of the hustle plays to give this team a much-needed boost in the second unit. Most of that came early on in this game when everything was tipping in Milwaukee’s favor, and just like their comfortable lead, Connaughton’s contributions fizzled as the game went on.. SG. Milwaukee Bucks

B. Much like Connaughton, Forbes came into this game early and provided some immediate offense with five quick points. Despite knocking down two of his three shots, including his only attempt from 3-point range, Forbes played just 13 minutes. It is understandable from a defensive perspective, as Forbes has been known to be targetted defensively, and having him get switched onto Kevin Durant or James Harden would have been nightmarish. Yet, given how extremely Milwaukee’s offense struggled to put points on the board in the second half, getting Forbes more looks offensively might not have been the worst thing. This was the same player that proved to be their unsung hero in the first round, but he can hardly find any minutes now.. SG. Milwaukee Bucks. BRYN FORBES

INC. Aside from Connaughton and Forbes, no other reserve played big minutes for the Bucks. Thanasis Antetokounmpo saw his usually few seconds of action to give another player a breather, his only statistical contribution coming across his minute-and-a-half played being a personal foul. Recently-signed guard Elijah Bryant also hit the floor for just over two-and-a-half minutes, but his only production was a steal he came up with. Given the little time these two spent on the court, it would be unfair to hand them a letter grade based solely on that.. . Milwaukee Bucks. END OF THE BENCH

C. Milwaukee Bucks. BOBBY PORTIS. DNP. Despite being healthy, Bobby Portis watched this game from start to finish on the sidelines. As Milwaukee’s leading scorer in the second unit during the regular season, many rightfully questioned yet another move by the head coach. Like Forbes, Portis has his issues defensively, but the big man has provided an essential scoring spark off the bench all throughout the season, and seeing the team struggle to come by any offense just hurt. On top of watching the Bucks blow a lead in the most important game of the season, it was disheartening to watch the heart and soul of this team sit on the bench for 48 consecutive minutes of game action.