By Jake McCormick
Halfway through the first quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 107-89 NBA playoffs Game 3 win against the Atlanta Hawks, point guard Brandon Jennings glanced at head coach Scott Skiles looking for a play signal. All he got was a hand sweep that said, “Use the Force, Brandon.”The end result was a 17-5 start that set the tone for the Bucks’ best overall game since losing Andrew Bogut and their first home playoff win since 2006. The team needed perfection if they were going to have a chance against the longer, more athletic, better shooting Hawks. What they got was the perfect storm of stingy defense, clutch three pointers, and an off night from every Hawk except (surprise!) Joe Johnson.
“Our goal is to come out with a lot of energy and intensity,” Skiles said. “Get back to playing the way we know we can, and we did that for large stretches of the game.”
Offensively, Milwaukee took an early 36-19 lead thanks to five first quarter threes, and proceeded to minimize their midrange jumpers throughout the rest of the game on their way to 51% shooting and six players in double figures. The Bucks aggressively attacked the rim, moved the ball enough to neutralize the Hawks’ defensive switches, and even made Primoz Brezec and Dan Gadzuric look like serviceable big men.
“We need our defense to create offense for us,” Skiles said. “Without Bogut, it’s hard to slow the game down and go inside, read the defense and make decisions. We need get stops and get the ball out in transition and hopefully knock down some shots. We were able to do that early in the game.”
The Hawks’ 39% shooting clip tells the only story you need to know. Milwaukee played their best inside defense since losing Andrew Bogut and successfully walled off any under-the-basket shots attempted by Atlanta. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was a primary factor in shutting Josh Smith down to the point that Zaza Pachulia was more of an offensive force for the Hawks.
Mbah a Moute and the rest of the Bucks’ D consistently forced Smith further and further away from the basket. Smith’s athleticism still translated into nine offensive rebounds, but Milwaukee won the rebounding battle and prevented Atlanta from getting any easy put backs from their 20 offensive boards.
“It wasn’t just me; we were giving him different looks. The defense stepped up early in the game,” Mbah a Moute said. “Once we got going, the crowd tonight was big for us.”
MVP: John Salmons
You know the story with Salmons by now. Putting up a quiet 22 points, dishing out seven silent assists, and playing underrated defense, Salmons kept on keepin’ on. He was dialed in all night, only missing on two shots and committing one turnover. Don’t expect much of a drop-off for the rest of the series from Salmons, especially since Milwaukee now has a blueprint for success.
Best supporting roll: Brandon Jennings
Jennings hit two threes in the first five minutes and served as the conductor to the sold out Bradley Center symphony, pumping up the crowd and wearing his patented swagger on his sleeve. Jennings finished with 13 points, five assists, two steals, two blocks, and zero turnovers. He was instrumental in getting the Bucks sprinting out of the gate, scoring nine points in the first half, and will be just as big of a factor come Game 4 on Monday.
LVP: Carlos Delfino
Delfino hit his first basket about three and a half minutes into the third quarter, and hit another one shortly after, but his other seven shots were for naught. Delfino’s been cold so far in the series, and is more than due for a breakout performance. Are 20 points in Game 4 too much to ask for, oh holy basketball gods?
It was over when…
Gadzuric made a 15 foot corner jumper halfway through the fourth quarter. It capped off a night where bigs Kurt Thomas and Danny Gadz combined for 23 rebounds, 10 points, and two turnovers. Once Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey, and Charlie Bell made it on the floor a minute later, the Hawks had already started planning for Game 4.
What’s next?
Between the constant booing of Josh Smith, the expected swagger of Brandon Jennings, a sold out Bradley Center crowd waving Fear the Deer towels, and honoring John Hammond for winning Executive of the Year, Game 3 will be tough for the Bucks to replicate.
Despite all the surplus of positive play, it’s hard not to wonder how the series would’ve played out with Andrew Bogut on the floor for 35 minutes a game. Still, Milwaukee showed it can hang with a superior Atlanta team, and that should be more than enough ammunition for Skiles and the Bucks’ confidence heading into Game 4.
