3 questions before Game 4 between Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics
By Dalton Sell
After three intense meetings, the Milwaukee Bucks currently lead the Boston Celtics 2-1 in what has been a hectic best of seven matchup thus far.
The Bucks are coming off a thrilling 103-101 win that came down to the final seconds in Game 3, and they will look to notch another win at Fiserv Forum tonight. If the first three matchups are any indication, Game 4 should be another tense battle between these two premier contenders. With a chance to take a 3-1 series lead, this will be a crucial game for the Milwaukee Bucks, and it will be fascinating to see how things play out. Before that game tips off later tonight, let us take a look at three looming questions surrounding the contest.
Can Jrue Holiday finally end his pesky shooting slump in Game 4 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics?
Jrue Holiday has done some impressive things defensively for the Milwaukee Bucks in this series, but he has struggled mightily on the opposite end. Through three games, the guard has averaged an eye-catching 23 points per game, but he has shot just 26-of-70 (37.1 percent) from the floor, including 7-of-21 (33.3 percent) from 3-point range. Holiday is coming off an 11-of-30 shooting performance in Game 3, but he made the biggest shot of the afternoon as he sunk a layup to put the Bucks up three in the closing moments to make that far easier to digest. Hopefully that shot can help spark something for the guard to help him turn things around offensively.
The veteran needs to primarily focus on converting right at the rim offensively, as he has had an incredibly difficult time doing so in this series. According to NBA.com/stats, Holiday is shooting a lackluster 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) in the restricted area against this phenomenal Boston defense. The guard needs to capitalize on these looks right at the hoop, but he will also have to stretch the floor and knock down some triples, which has been problematic in this series. Holiday should look to get his step-back triple going, as he has shot just 1-of-3 in that regard during this series after it became his go-to move in the regular season. Wherever Holiday gets the points from, Milwaukee needs him to contribute more efficiently.
With so much attention from Boston’s defense being directed at Giannis Antetokounmpo, Holiday must step up offensively and take on some of that workload. The veteran guard has had plenty of moments in this series, such as the clutch bucket in Game 3, but it has not been consistent. The question remains whether or not he can finally snap this slump in a pivotal Game 4 tonight.