Milwaukee Bucks’ reserve trio could be a secret weapon vs. Boston Celtics

The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics 101-89 in Game 1 Sunday afternoon to start their second round series off with a solid win on the road.

Whether it was Giannis Antetokounmpo’s triple-double, Milwaukee’s robust defense that limited the Celtics to just 89 points, or whatever else, there was no shortage of takeaways from this one. Yet, amidst everything that took place, one thing that may have flown a bit under the radar was a quality outing from Milwaukee’s reserve trio of Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and Jevon Carter, who all showed why they could potentially be significant factors in this second round series.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ reserve trio showed their importance on both sides of the basketball in Game 1 victory vs. Boston Celtics

Bench production had been a significant issue for the Milwaukee Bucks all year long, but this trio helped patch up that flaw in the opening round against the Chicago Bulls. They would need more of this in the second round, and these three were up to the task in Game 1. Grayson Allen carried over the hot hand from the previous series as he tallied 11 points while also grabbing three steals. Meanwhile, Connaughton chipped in eight points while also pulling down five rebounds, and Carter finished with seven points on the afternoon. These three made a massive impact on both sides of the ball, and that production could be a key for the Milwaukee Bucks moving forward.

Offensively, the biggest contribution from this trio was their outside shooting as they combined to hit 6-of-12 (50 percent) from 3-point land. It was great to see these three find a shooting rhythm, but looking closer, it is how they found it that highlighted its importance. With the Celtics aiming to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak was forced to be more of a passer during the game, which generated countless looks for this particular group. Antetokounmpo ultimately ended the game with 12 assists, and a large part of that was done due to the 3-pointers from this trio, as Allen shot 2-of-2, Connaughton shot 1-of-1, and Carter shot 1-of-2 from deep off passes from the two-time MVP, according to NBA.com/stats. Given the attention given to Antetokounmpo, the role players will get these looks, and they must hit them with consistency.

If these three can continue to knock down their 3-pointers in general, but especially when they receive a pass from Antetokounmpo, it will make Milwaukee much more formidable.

In addition to their shooting, the Allen-Connaughton-Carter trio made a significant impact on the defensive end in Game 1. Allen will never find himself in contention for All-Defensive honors, but he was pesky in this opening game as he held opponents to 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) shooting from the floor. Connaughton was great as well as Boston players shot a mere 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) in the minutes where they were matched up. The guard has always been a serviceable defender, but he was great as he defended a handful of various positions in this opener. Carter was stellar defensively as he held his opponents scoreless on 0-of-5 field goal shooting. He has been fearless on that side of things throughout his playing career, which he displayed in this opening matchup.

The Bucks have been working like a well-oiled machine defensively throughout the postseason to this point, and part of that stems from everyone being on the same page. They need this trio to be impactful on the defensive end whenever they are on the floor, and they did just that in Game 1.

In short, when this trio is burying their 3-pointers while also playing some stout defense, they can certainly be secret weapons for this Bucks team off the bench. They could be difference-makers in this playoff series if they can continue to play like this on both ends of the floor.

Allen, Connaughton, and Carter could potentially be secret weapons for the Milwaukee Bucks in this second round series, as evidenced by their impressive efforts in Game 1.