The Milwaukee Bucks had their chances, but they squandered an opportunity to steal Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on the road after erasing a 19-point deficit.
Anyone who watched the game knows that a big reason why was the rebounding late in the contest. Indiana had seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and overtime, giving themselves several extra opportunities late. Ultimately, the Bucks could not overcome it, and it sent them into a 1-2 hole in this series.
Four-time NBA champ and current Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was seemingly watching the game, offering tips on how the Bucks should utilize Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez. He followed that up with a tweet saying, "You 7 foot brotha," almost certainly referencing Lopez failing to make an impact on the glass as the Pacers grabbed rebound after rebound.
You 7 foot brotha
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) April 27, 2024
4-time NBA champion seemingly calls out Brook Lopez after Bucks' Game 3 loss
Draymond Green has never been shy about letting his feelings be known, and he's got the rings and accolades to back it up.
Brook Lopez, who stands at 7-foot-1, had four rebounds in this game. Four. Andrew Nembhard, Indy's 6-foot-5 sparkplug, outrebounded Lopez himself with five, which included three on the offensive end. This just simply cannot happen.
Lopez has strangely never been much of a rebounder despite his hulking build, but in a series like this, where the Milwaukee Bucks are without Giannis Antetokounmpo, four rebounds will not get the job done from the starting center. He's more than deserving of the criticism from Green and other Bucks fans, though not all of the blame goes to him for the rebounding troubles.
The Milwaukee Bucks have to get Brook Lopez more involved on the glass moving forward to prevent a repeat of Game 3. That's also on Lopez to simply be more aggressive, given that he has the height and strength to battle down low. It'll be fascinating to see how the Bucks aim to adjust this debacle in a pivotal Game 4 Sunday.
Hopefully Lopez takes Green's comments and the Bucks' loss as motivation for the next game.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.