Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory in Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets

The Milwaukee Bucks must slow down the Brooklyn Nets’ stars in Game 7

Watching Kevin Durant go scorched earth and score 49 points to help the Nets steal Game 5, the Bucks know what he brings to the table. The forward is arguably the most gifted scorer of this generation, and Milwaukee must do everything it takes to keep him in check in this Game 7.

Durant’s main defender in this series has been P.J. Tucker, who is doing everything imaginable to slow him down. According to NBA.com/stats, Durant has scored 71 points on 28-of-61 shooting from the field, including 5-of-20 from deep, when guarded by Tucker across 169.4 partial possessions. Also forcing him to cough up nine turnovers, Tucker has forced Durant to work for every single shot he attempts. He will likely get the call in Game 7 to be his primary defender, but that should not stop the Bucks from switching things up if Durant gets hot.

In that instance, the matchup everyone has been begging to see is switching Antetokounmpo onto Durant. Although it comes in a small sample size, the results have been promising to this point in the series as Durant has scored just 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-5 from range, while tallying four turnovers across 22.9 partial possessions. However, if push comes to shove and Durant catches fire, Antetokounmpo needs to be the man thrown at Durant defensively. He has been one of the better players to match up against Durant over the years, and that could be a tipping point in this game.

Aside from Durant, another player the Bucks will have to worry about is James Harden, who has played in the previous two matchups after re-aggravating his hamstring in Game 1. The guard has understandably not played like himself as that hamstring continues to bother him, but he is someone who could heat up offensively in a hurry. Harden continues playing more of a facilitating role, but in the likelihood that Holiday gets the defensive assignment to keep him at bay, it will be a tall task. With Kyrie Irving likely sidelined for this Game 7 after he twisted an ankle in Game 4, Holiday will primarily see his share of minutes on Harden, which have proved impactful to this point.

While limiting Brooklyn’s stars is the top priority, the Bucks must not let their supporting cast get any easy looks either. This Milwaukee team saw Jeff Green catch fire and Game 5 as he finished with 27 points on 7-of-8 shooting from deep, and they cannot afford another breakout like that in this crucial game. Durant and Harden will be the main concern for Milwaukee, but keep an eye out for their defense as a whole.