Don’t ignore the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo logged one other monster outing opposite Kevin Durant in Tuesday’s 124-118 steal over the Brooklyn Nets. The 2-time reigning MVP’s Bucks (41-24) drew inside an absence of the Nets (43-23) and clinched the tiebreaker, sharpening the Jap Convention playoff image with two weeks remaining.
Two days after outscoring Durant 49-42 in one other Milwaukee steal, Antetokounmpo amassed 36 capabilities, 12 rebounds and 4 assists, bringing his season average against Brooklyn to 40 capabilities per game. Enough to withstand 70 blended capabilities from Durant and Kyrie Irving on Tuesday, thanks in phase to 23 capabilities apiece from Jrue Vacation and Khris Middleton. Brooklyn’s James Harden (hamstring) disregarded a 14th straight outing.
The first two meetings between the Bucks and Nets came correct down to 1 possession. If we realized the leisure from their three peculiar-season video games, a most productive-of-seven sequence between them will be a heavyweight strive against. But, we gathered invent no longer know what exactly to seek recordsdata from or who to desire, on yarn of Brooklyn has fielded Durant, Irving and Harden good seven instances collectively all season — no longer once against Milwaukee and in no map since Feb. 5.
Right here’s what we discontinue know: The No. 1 seed in the East is a gigantic advantage.
Brooding about tiebreakers, the Philadelphia 76ers (44-21) now basically withhold a 3-game edge on the head seed over both the Nets and Bucks with a cupcake seven-game schedule the relaxation of the methodology. It will most likely most likely per chance per chance consume a gigantic collapse by the Sixers for Brooklyn and Milwaukee no longer to land on the the same facet of the bracket.
That is brutal recordsdata for both teams. Now no longer handiest does the No. 1 seed indicate no longer having to face Brooklyn or Milwaukee in the 2nd spherical of the playoffs, it in all chance ability warding off the 2 defending conference finalists in the outlet spherical. The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are sitting sixth and seventh in the East.
The Nets live heavy having a wager favorites to emerge from the East. That is clearly reckoning on the trusty properly being of their three superstars, on yarn of we know the Bucks can cling with two of them. Their self belief has clearly grown with two straight wins against Brooklyn, no longer to mention a season sweep of Philadelphia.
Right here’s no longer the Milwaukee group that has been stomped out of the playoffs the previous two years. Vacation adds one other dimension. He’s averaging a 21-6-7 on 51/50/75 taking pictures splits against the Nets this season, and he is no longer going to wilt below pressure the methodology Eric Bledsoe did earlier than him. Few defenders relish any likelihood of locking down Irving, and Vacation is believed to be one of them. Correct glimpse down the stretch of both wins over the path few days for proof. He may well per chance moreover give Harden suits. He good can no longer pause Harden and Irving on the the same time.
Perchance no group can. Oddsmakers appear to think so, nevertheless Brooklyn’s properly being is no guarantee. Harden has twice aggravated the hamstring hurt he initially suffered on March 31. The setbacks leave his station for the commence of the playoffs in jeopardy. The leisure no longer as a lot as stout energy against Milwaukee is an challenge. That involves Irving and Durant, who relish disregarded 54 video games blended in a bodily and mentally taxing three hundred and sixty five days.
Durant may well per chance be basically the most unstoppable offensive pressure of his technology, nevertheless the Nets don’t relish any defensive respond for Antetokounmpo. He can get to the rim at will, too like a flash for DeAndre Jordan, too solid for anyone else, and he even threw in four 3-pointers for trusty measure in Tuesday’s steal. His is a neutralizing pressure few teams can flex opposite Durant, good as Vacation can strive against Irving in ways no longer normally ever viewed.
Middleton is quietly playing a profession three hundred and sixty five days, despite his first absence from the All-Valuable person Sport in three seasons. He too may well per chance be a threat defensively. His playmaking has improved, and he takes pictures a blistering 42.5% from 3-level differ — a top-10 clip amongst NBA gamers who strive 5 per game.
Lineups that contains Antetokounmpo, Vacation and Middleton are outscoring opponents by 12.1 capabilities per 100 possessions, working at league-most productive phases on both ends, per Cleansing the Glass. That is one level shy of the scoring differential when Durant, Irving and Harden portion the ground — in in relation to 1,400 more possessions. That settle dips to +10.4 capabilities per 100 possessions when Harden would no longer portion the court docket alongside with his costars.
The blended forces of Antetokounmpo, Vacation and Middleton, alongside with just a few roster upgrades on the margins, invent Brooklyn’s third star the X-part in a may well per chance gathered-be sequence. Right here’s why the Nets pulled the placement off on a trade that fee them Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. That puts an abominable lot of pressure on Harden, who has been sorrowful in that position even when taking part in at stout skill in his playoff profession.
Right here’s the express Milwaukee poses after two straight wins knocked Brooklyn from the head seed and all nevertheless locked in an Jap Convention semifinals slug-strive against. The Nets wanted these video games and misplaced them. They’ve one card left to play, and they desperately want that, too, on yarn of we forgot relating to the Bucks.
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Ben Rohrbach is a workers creator for Yahoo Sports actions. Possess a tip? Electronic mail him at [email protected] or be conscious him on Twitter! Note @brohrbach
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