Grades from the Milwaukee Bucks’ tough Game 3 win over Boston Celtics

Grades from Milwaukee Bucks’ tough Game 3 win: Starters

Jrue Holiday: B+

Jrue Holiday has been the second go-to guy for the Milwaukee Bucks since Khris Middleton’s injury. Holiday has been putting up the points, such as his 25-point effort in this game, but what I’d like to see more of from him is the efficiency he displayed during the regular season. So far, Jrue Holiday has shot 26-for-70 (37.1 percent) on field goals, including 11-of-30 (36.7 percent) in Game 3. Jrue Holiday shot 50.1 percent on field goals during the season. Moving behind the arc, Holiday has made 7-of-21 (33 percent) threes in the first three games of this series, including just 3-of-10 (30 percent) in Game 3. He was a 41.1 percent 3-point shooter during the regular season.

Another area I’d still like to see Jrue play up to his capability is reducing his turnovers. Turning the ball over on an effort play is one thing, but the careless passes that result in empty possessions are much harder to swallow. The rest of Jrue’s game was solid, with seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a blocked shot while defending Boston’s best perimeter players. If he cleans up his efficiency it would go a long way to helping the Milwaukee Bucks take a 3-1 series lead on Monday.

Grayson Allen: C

For a guy who had his fingerprints all over the Chicago series, many Bucks fans, myself included, expected more than scoreless games out of Grayson Allen. Many Bucks fans advocated for Allen to be in the starting lineup, which is where Grayson found himself Saturday. Grayson Allen missed all three shots he took in Game 3, all 3-point shots. While Allen didn’t score, he did keep himself from a lower grade was grabbing four rebounds and dishing four assists while committing just one turnover. I’m sure everyone would like to see a more impactful Grayson Allen in Game 4.

Wesley Matthews: A-

I’ve said it before, whatever the Milwaukee Bucks get out of Wesley Matthews on the offensive end is just a bonus. That remains the case, Matthews scored just three points on 1-of-5 shooting, and while his offense is just a bonus to what he offers on the defensive end seeing some increased efficiency wouldn’t hurt on that end of the floor. Wesley Matthews did help the offense with his rebounding, three of his four rebounds were offensive.

What earns Wesley Matthews his high grade is his efforts on the defensive end. Wesley Matthews was absolutely masterful on defense. His work on Jayson Tatum is one of the biggest reasons the Milwaukee Bucks were able to win this game. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Jayson Tatum was 0-for-10 when guarded by Wesley Matthews. Wesley Matthews at +11 had the highest plus/minus on the Bucks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: A+

The first A+ I’ve given this postseason unsurprisingly goes to the Milwaukee Bucks’ best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He put the entire Milwaukee Bucks team on his back and carried them to a win in Game 3. Doing masterful work on both ends of the floor and leading the Bucks throughout the game, Giannis finished with 42 points on 16-for-30 (53.3 percent) shooting after shooting just 20-for-52 (38.4 percent) in Games 1 and 2. Giannis got off to a slow start at the free throw line but finished a respectable 9-for-12 on the charity stripe. In addition to his 42 points, Giannis added 12 rebounds and eight assists while committing just three turnovers.

Defensively, Giannis showed why he’s a former Defensive Player of the Year, Giannis finished with two steals and two blocks. If you feel the need to make a critique of the game Giannis played in Game 3 the only thing I can think of is for him to shoot fewer threes. Giannis was just 1-of-6 behind the arc and the Boston Celtics have shown no indication that they intend to contest Giannis behind the line.

Brook Lopez: A-

Brook Lopez will have a chance to earn a straight A if he can play the way he did in Game 3 and stay out of foul trouble so he can play longer. I will admit he’s gotten some questionable calls to go against him while not getting the same calls when he’s playing offense, but credit where it’s due, Brook keeps on going. After a very quiet game two where Brook Lopez only scored two points and had six rebounds, Brook turned in a double-double in Game 3, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, three of them on the offensive end.

Brook was 5-of-10 from the field, all inside the 3-point line, and made all three of his free throws. In addition to his points and rebounds, Brook also handed out two assists and snagged two steals. This is the Brook Lopez the Milwaukee Bucks need going forward.