Following a very closely contested Game 1 win this past Sunday, the Milwaukee Bucks returned to Fiserv Forum last night for Game 2 with the Chicago Bulls.
Immediately, things did not look right for the Bucks from the opening tip as the Bulls started with far more intensity, having rattled off the first nine points of the game. While Milwaukee managed to fight their way back into the game and make things relatively competitive, this was a tough one to sit through. Despite the abundance of self-inflicted errors by the Bucks, they stayed in this one until the final buzzer sounded, but it did not matter as the Bulls secured a 114-110 victory to even up the series at 1-1. For several reasons, this is a tough one to stomach, but there will not be time to dwell on it for too long, as these two will meet in Chicago on Friday for a pivotal Game 3. Before that game tips off, here are three takeaways from an ugly Game 2 loss by the Bucks.
Brook Lopez proved to be among the lone bright spots in the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 2 loss to the Chicago Bulls
In what was an overall gloomy and dreadful game, Brook Lopez served as at least one reason for some optimism on Milwaukee’s side of things.
Offensively, the big man looked as good as he has all season as he tallied 25 points while shooting an efficient 9-of-16 from the floor. While it was great to see him attack the basket, especially late when he connected on a tough layup while being fouled, the big man also showed off his range by burying three of his six 3-point attempts. When Lopez is scoring the basketball right at the rim and also hitting his outside shots, it unlocks an entirely new form of versatility to Milwaukee’s offense, as evidenced by his effort last night. Elsewhere, Lopez tallied six rebounds, one assist, and a block in his 35 minutes of game action as he had a solid all-around impact in this one.
Given how much a majority of the supporting cast struggled in last night’s game, Lopez’s effort in this game was a positive takeaway. Due to his contributions offensively and defensively, he could be the ultimate difference-maker for the Milwaukee Bucks in this series, and they will certainly need him to step up to the challenge. After receiving some tough news regarding one of their vital pieces, the Bucks will need Lopez more than ever moving forward, and this game sparks optimism that he can shoulder more responsibility on both sides of the basketball.
Jrue Holiday’s struggles carried over into Game 2 for the Milwaukee Bucks, and they will now need him more than ever moving forward
After a struggle-filled Game 1, Jrue Holiday had a chance to wipe the slate clean and make a much better impression in Game 2. Unfortunately, he did quite the opposite as the guard had himself an off-night, to say the least, which played a major factor in the Bucks’ dropping this game.
Just like Game 1, Holiday’s turnovers were a prominent problem throughout this second meeting, as he tallied six of them this time around. It was frustrating to watch as the veteran was careless with the basketball all night, having thrown a handful of reckless passes, one of which came late during the fourth quarter with the Bucks making a run and shifted the momentum of the contest entirely. As simple as it sounds, Holiday needs to make smarter decisions when he has the ball in his hands, or these self-inflicted errors will plague the Bucks as they did in Game 2.
In addition to his ball-control, Holiday must also be better with his scoring. The guard scored just 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting in Game 2, having struggled throughout. One of those misses was a costly one, as he missed a point-blank layup in the closing moments of the fourth that truly felt like the final nail in the coffin for Milwaukee’s chances of winning this particular meeting. This is a player whose scoring and efficiency were both off the charts during the regular season, but that prowess has been nowhere to be found during these first two games.
Obviously, the Bucks need Holiday to correct these issues moving forward. However, that need is only amplified by the unfortunate news surrounding Khris Middleton. As reported by head coach Mike Budenholzer, Middleton is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain in Game 2, but he will undergo further evaluation soon to determine the severity and his status. With Middleton likely set to miss some time, the Bucks will rely heavily on Holiday to step up in his absence. He must erase these past two games from his memory and bounce back, starting with Game 3 tomorrow.
For now, get well soon, Khris.
The Milwaukee Bucks failed to replicate the same defensive pressure in Game 2 that helped them limit DeMar DeRozan in Game 1
Among the significant reasons why the Bucks managed to gut out that ugly Game 1 win over the Bulls was their defense against DeMar DeRozan. Milwaukee’s defense held him to 18 points on a subpar 6-of-25 field goal shooting as they hounded him all night without fouling him. Replicating that blueprint would be pivotal in this game, but the Bucks failed to do so.
DeRozan caught fire right from the jump in this matchup and never cooled down as he torched the champs all game. Despite the carousel of defenders such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, and more trying to defend him, DeRozan just kept hitting tough shot after shot, and that included several late ones to help Chicago secure this victory. In total, he finished with an eye-catching 41 points on 16-of-31 shooting from the floor. Obviously, the Bucks cannot be too proud of the effort they gave on that side of the basketball when defending the All-Star forward.
Heading into Game 3, DeRozan now has all the momentum. He lit up Milwaukee’s defense in this poor showing in Game 2, and he will certainly look to do the same in front of his home crowd with the series shifting to Chicago. The Bucks must now formulate a game plan defensively to prevent another offensive onslaught by DeRozan, and two players that will be vital in that are Holiday and Matthews, a pair of reputable defenders that will be tasked with slowing him down offensively.
With the series knotted at 1-1 and things shifting to Chicago, the Bucks have some work to do and certainly some areas they desperately need to clean up fast.
Be sure to catch the Game 3 action at 7:30 p.m. CST on ABC tomorrow night.