Let’s dive into Thursday’s trio of games and examine the keys to how they unfolded.
Milwaukee Bucks 113, Miami Heat 84
Bucks lead series 3-0
I started to feel sorry for the Heat with the way the Bucks pummeled them on Thursday night in Miami. Milwaukee put on an elite defensive performance, holding Miami to 31.1 percent shooting in the first half and 33.8 percent shooting through the first three quarters. The Bucks’ intensity really seemed to be ramped up after they had just left the locker room. They outscored the Heat 26-14 in the first quarter and throttled them again 37-24 in the third quarter.
Early on, the Bucks did a great job of keeping Miami out of the paint, forcing them to take jump shots. This left Bam Adebayo in a lot of uncomfortable situations, and he went 2-of-6 in the first half. Conversely, Jimmy Butler managed to call their bluff, and he scored 16 in the first half.
Unfortunately for Butler, he only scored three more points in the second half, still pacing the Heat in defeat with 19 points. Miami finished the night 13-of-47 (27.7 percent) outside of the paint. Milwaukee went 25-of-54 (46.3 percent) from the same region. Miami couldn’t find the basket, while each Bucks 3-pointer (all 13 of them) felt like a dagger.
Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t even need to dominate the scoring load in this game, settling on a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double. Instead, Khris Middleton led the way with 22 points, including 10 in the third. In total, six Bucks scored in double-figures. Only three Heat members did the same.
Lastly, Milwaukee’s dominance on the boards came through for the third straight game. The Bucks out-rebounding the Heat 22-10 in the first quarter was a key reason they were able to push ahead in a very muddy opening frame. Milwaukee only shot 34.6 percent in the first, but the four second chance points off of six offensive rebounds was indicative of the energy they brought to the rest of the game. Now the Bucks have the opportunity to complete the sweep on Saturday.
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Phoenix Suns 95
Lakers lead series 2-1
We had Lakers playoff basketball at the Staples Center for the first time since 2013. Fans were treated to another uneven, grind-it-out game, which has become par for the series. Nevertheless, it was a win for the home team, who take control of the series from the higher-seeded Suns.
The first half remained close, thanks it part to a slog of a second quarter. Both teams combined to shoot 9-of-39 (23.1 percent) from the field, commit 13 fouls, and turn the ball over 12 times. It was a 16-12 quarter in favor of LA.
However, the Lakers brought a completely different energy out of the halftime locker room. Los Angeles outscored Phoenix 33-23 in the third quarter. This performance was punctuated by a 26-14 advantage in the paint, an 8-2 advantage on the fast break, and a 9-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 34 points and 11 rebounds, carrying over his aggressive output from Game 2. LeBron James once again hung back in the primary playmaker, secondary scorer role, but still put up a solid 21 points and nine assists.
LA’s success in this series is particularly impressive because they’re doing it without the 3-ball. The Lakers shot 25 percent on Thursday night, and are shooting 27.6 percent from beyond the arc in this series. That’s second-worst in these playoffs.
Phoenix, meanwhile, only had their offensive rhythm in the first quarter and during the fourth quarter run that cut the deficit to 97-89 with 2:46 left. Chris Paul’s shoulder injury is clearly still bothering him, which spells trouble for a team that uses him significantly to keep things in motion.
On the bright side, DeAndre Ayton continued his stellar play, scoring 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting. That’s an 82.1 field goal percentage through three games. Devin Booker backed him up with 19 points while Cameron Payne added 15 off the bench. To emphasize the lack of offensive firepower Phoenix had: Ayton and Payne combined to shoot 17-of-26 (65.4 percent) from the field. The rest of the team went just 18-of-56 (32.1 percent).
Denver Nuggets 120, Portland Trail Blazers 115
Nuggets lead series 2-1
The Trail Blazers were back in front of their home fans at Moda Center. However, they spent most of Game 3 chasing a Nuggets team that held the lead for most the game, getting it to as high as 12 points at times.
In the end, it was a game of missed opportunities for Portland. While the Blazers managed to dominate the paint 54-30, they weren’t able to close the deal by capitalizing from beyond the arc. They went 14-of-45 (31.1 percent) from distance, while Denver shot 20-of-38. This was quite a misstep for a team that had hit 47.9 percent of their 3-pointers through the first two games of the series. It also didn’t help that Denver took 14 more attempts at the free throw line, making 11 more than the home team.
On the winning side, Nikola Jokic continued his rampage, finishing with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. For Denver, however, it’s not a matter of what the Joker is going to do, but which of his teammates are going to step up and make the big contributions.
Tonight it was late season signee Austin Rivers. As Portland attempted to march back into the game, Rivers’ 16 points in the fourth quarter helped to slam the door shut and secure his team’s 2-1 series lead. He had only scored five points in the prior three quarters.
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