Inserted into the starting lineup for Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr. made his coach look like a genius in the Bucks' 117-101 Game 3 win over Indiana.
His nine made threes tied Ray Allen for the most from a Buck in a playoff game. His 37 points, paired with the same total from Giannis Antetokounmpo, made the teammates the first-ever Milwaukee duo to reach 35-plus in the postseason. Trent's highest-scoring performance since March 11, 2022, it was, as commentator Ryan Ruocco declared after Trent's eighth three of the night, "The Gary Trent Jr. Game."
Gary Trent's self-belief was a reason Lillard urged Bucks to sign him
Trent's torrid run also masked another clunker from Damian Lillard, who shot 2-of-12 and tallied just seven points after going 4-of-13 in Game 2. Energy did not appear to be an issue, though, as he proved to be an unlikely bulldog on the defensive end, notching a pair of blocks and steals. Even when he didn't receive box score credit, he forced turnovers and disrupted shots by keeping up constant effort.
Offensively, his sluggish shooting remains a pivotal concern. While rust was predictable in his Game 2 return, even a small improvement would have been encouraging on Friday. Luckily, the Bucks' free agent signing and Lillard's former Trail Blazers teammate saved him some blame.
"This is one of the most confident players I've played with," Lillard said he told Milwaukee's front office this past offseason. "Unshakeable. His confidence is steady, his work ethic is steady. Very stubborn. He's a guy that's not going fold up when moments come."
During the regular season, Trent did not approach the peak scoring volume he enjoyed in Toronto, where he averaged at least 16 points per game from 2021 to 23. Despite a different role, though, he remained an efficient sniper. Coming off the bench the majority of games in Milwaukee, Trent finished the campaign averaging 11.1 points while shooting 41.6 percent from deep. After scoring just four points in Game 2, he made the most of his starting opportunity on Friday.
"When he has a performance like tonight," Lillard told reporters, "I know how much he believes in himself. Some people believe when it's going well, some people kind of get down on themselves, but I know his thoughts of himself, the true confidence. So this type of game doesn't surprise me, and it came at a time when we needed it."
Bucks may struggle to fill scoring void if Lillard's shooting continues
Although Trent stole the show, Bobby Portis (10 points, eight rebounds) and AJ Green (four triples) also had solid games off the bench, further compensating for Lillard's continued woes. To be fair, Lillard has only played two games following a 35-day absence, but his struggles beg the question: Do the Milwaukee Bucks need a role player to supply some version of a Gary Trent Jr. game every night?
They would be thrilled to get one, of course, but banking on 25 or more from unanticipated individuals is not a realistic strategy. It is also worth noting that the Bucks lost Game 2 despite 28 bench points from Bobby Portis.
But there is a silver lining. While no one expects Trent to equal Friday's performance, it is unequivocally a good sign that Milwaukee was able to deliver a win despite underwhelming offense from its second-best option. Not only that, assuming Lillard recovers at least some degree of his in-season form, a chunk of that production will come organically–even via a pedestrian 20 points on 45% shooting.
The obvious hop in his step on defense is a promising reflection of his conditioning level. Even better, pulling away late allowed Doc Rivers to sit his starters during the final few minutes, limiting Lillard and Giannis to 32 each. With only two days' rest until Game 4 on Sunday night, every extra bit helps.
As ever, it's on to the next one, but the Bucks should feel good about themselves after this one after an impressive game from Gary Trent Jr.