Coming off a thrilling victory on their home floor to open the series, the Milwaukee Bucks aimed to take down the Indiana Pacers once again on Tuesday.
As they did in Game 1, the Bucks jumped out to a nice lead early, and it appeared that a repeat of the first game could be on the horizon. However, then Milwaukee's grasp slipped, and they failed to bring that same level of intensity, looking unequipped to deal with the Pacers, who swiftly grabbed the lead. The Bucks made a few runs, but self-inflicted errors and the hungrier Pacers were too much for them.
When the final buzzer sounded, the series was knotted 1-1 as the Pacers snatched a 125-108 win on the road. Now, the Milwaukee Bucks have lost homecourt advantage and will head to Indiana with no clarity on Giannis Antetokounmpo's status. The one word to sum up this one would be disappointing, as the effort shift compared to Game 1 was flat-out staggering.
That said, let us highlight a few studs and duds from a grueling Game 2.
Stud - Damian Lillard
As he did with a historic Game 1 showcase, Damian Lillard did his best to carry the Bucks once again. The guard scored 34 points, one less than he did in the opener, hitting six 3-pointers and showing his skill set as one of the most talented shot-makers in the business. The Pacers did everything possible to limit the guard defensively, and it worked at times, but he still had an impressive scoring outing.
The primary problem in this matchup is that when the Pacers did send the farm at Lillard, very few Bucks could pay off the looks they were given. Of course, there's a Giannis Antetokounmpo-sized hole in the lineup, but that didn't stop the Bucks in Game 1. Outside of the next name on this list, Milwaukee's supporting cast just couldn't get it going.
With 34 points, five assists, four rebounds, one steal and just one turnover, it was a rather nice game for Damian Lillard.
"Stud" - Brook Lopez
This one is a little harder to gauge, but ultimately, Brook Lopez will land here.
On offense, the center gave the team a sizeable lift, scoring 22 points, thanks to a 6-for-7 shooting night from the perimeter while also handing out three assists. Without Lopez, this game would have been a lot uglier than it already was, as he was arguably the only Milwaukee Bucks player outside of Lillard who showed up offensively.
Defensively, Lopez had two blocked shots, but it was far from his finest performance on that end of his career. It's not all Lopez's fault, as the Pacers blowing by the perimeter defenders makes his job that much harder, but he's just simply not equipped to defend the rim as impactfully against a team like this that is uber-athletic and pushes the pace. It led to some tough possessions in this one.
it was truly a tale of two sides of the court for Lopez, but he needs his props for picking up everyone else's slack on the offensive end. These defensive issues are certainly not just going to vanish for the Milwaukee Bucks, so it will be interesting to see how Lopez and the team respond. If Giannis has to miss more time, which seems likely, it puts that much more pressure on him.
Dud - Malik Beasley
Malik Beasley went from being a key Milwaukee Bucks starter all year to basically being unplayable against a team like the Pacers. The guard, known as a 3-point specialist, played just 10 minutes and missed his only 3-point attempt - it wasn't even remotely close. He also had two turnovers and was oftentimes a target for the Pacers on the defensive end. Frankly, it was tough to watch.
Unless he's shooting the ball insanely well, it's going to be difficult for Beasley to see the floor for the remainder of this series, healthy Bucks or not. If Beasley could at least provide some resistance when playing defense or sink a few triples, he could make a big impact on this series, but it just simply was not there in this one.
Dud - Jae Crowder
Jae Crowder didn't play significant minutes in Game 2, logging just under 15 minutes, but he still had a handful of chances to make an impact. Unfortunately, he couldn't capitalize. The biggest example of this was two 3-point attempts the forward fired off. They both would have been momentum-shifting makes for the Milwaukee Bucks, but he failed to knock down either. Both were tough breaks.
Still, the Bucks needed him defensively, and he didn't quite deliver there either. Again, the Pacers were just too athletic and quick for Milwaukee's veterans. With Giannis out, the Bucks need someone with a good bit of size to guard Indiana's Pascal Siakam, and Crowder should be the best-equipped forward for the job. Yet, he just hasn't shown that he's up to the task.
Dud - Bobby Portis
After such a solid showing in Game 1, Bobby Portis could not replicate that type of impact in Game 2. From the jump, it was clear that he was off. The big man missed a handful of bunnies right at the hoop, a trend that carried out throughout the game, and took several ill-advised shots. He played a big part in the Milwaukee Bucks struggling to get into a groove on offense.
Like Lopez, Portis had his share of problems sticking with Pacers players as they raced toward the rim again and again. The sluggish defense and poor offense was a deadly combination for the Bucks, and it hurt them mightily. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Portis' size becomes that much more vital to the team's success, and he simply cannot have 14 points on 16 shots with subpar defense.
Dud - Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers cannot go on the floor and defend the Pacers players from scoring at the rim in transition. However, he can choose who can go out there to try. Rather than giving minutes to Malik Beasley and Jae Crowder, two players who have struggled, it might have been time for him to give one of the more young and athletic wings an opportunity to at least try and combat the Pacers' transition onslaught.
Andre Jackson Jr. has shown that he can help this unit, and Rivers even acknowledged that the wing could get time in this series because of it. He's one of the few Bucks on the entire team who may even have a shot of sticking with the Pacers in transition, and he has an incredible amount of athleticism to give Indiana a taste of their own medicine. Yet, Doc Rivers simply will not gamble on him.
Sure, with Jackson or even MarJon Beauchamp, one onlooker might worry about their foul troubles or inexperience on the big stage. However, it's not like the veterans are lighting it up. In fact, they are getting torched. Sprinkling in a touch of youth, hunger and athleticism could go a long way in this series. Now, it's up to Rivers to mix things up or be willing to suffer many of the same issues again.
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