Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory in Game 6 vs. Brooklyn Nets
The Milwaukee Bucks are down to their final stand going into Game 6 of their Conference Semifinals series with the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night at Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks blew a 17-point lead in the second half of their Game 5 loss to the Nets that ended in a 114-108 victory for Brooklyn that put them up 3-2 in the series and now with a shot to finish off the Bucks, despite being shorthanded.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
Now, with their backs full against the wall, the Bucks are down to their final punch and they simply can’t hold anything back in this do-or-die situation.
So without further ado, let’s break down the three biggest keys to a Game 6 victory for the Milwaukee Bucks as they prepare to host the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night.
Milwaukee Bucks must target James Harden on the defensive end in Game 6 vs. Nets
Having seen their stars James Harden and Kyrie Irving go down to injury throughout the series, the Nets got a morale boost by having Harden back on the floor for Game 5.
Yes, it didn’t translate to anything meaningful on the floor Harden had just five points on 1-for-10 shooting, along with eight assists across 45-and-a-half minutes of run. And most importantly, the Bucks proved incredibly averse to really going after and hunting Harden throughout the night, even as he’s incredibly limited due to his hamstring injury.
Even as the Nets have proven to be more formidable defensively than they showed throughout the regular season, the Bucks have certainly let the Nets off the hook by not exploiting desirable matchups in their favor just as the Nets have. Trading that in favor of unsophisticated offense and trying to attack the likes of Kevin Durant surely contributed to the Bucks’ downfall in the second half of Game 5 specifically.
Will that change going into Game 6 Thursday night? Who’s to say, but at this point, the Bucks will doing everything in their power not to fight for their playoff lives unless they start attempting to make Harden and the Nets pay defensively.