NBA Playoff Recap: May 24, 2021

With only two games on the slate, let’s take a look at the keys to how these matchups unfolded.

Milwaukee Bucks 132, Miami Heat 98

Bucks lead series 2-0

FINAL BOX SCORE

Game 1 between these teams was a tight matchup that went to overtime because both teams found different offensive facets to dominate. Milwaukee handled business inside the arc while Miami stayed competitive with the 3-point shot and free throws.

On this night, however, Milwaukee had all of the offensive firepower and Miami had none. Milwaukee finished with .489/.415/.900 shooting splits to Miami’s .402/.286/.686. The Bucks dropped a 46-point first quarter on their opponent, thanks in large part to 10 3-pointers, and that was all she wrote. The game somewhat stabilized from there, with Milwaukee winning the latter three periods 86-78, but the Bucks still managed to win every individual quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo bounced back from a shaky Game 1, finishing Game 2 with 31 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block. Bryn Forbes was the man of the hour, though, as he dropped 22 points behind 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. He knocked down his first four attempts, all in the first quarter, and was key to helping Milwaukee coast to this win.

Meanwhile for Miami, star forward Jimmy Butler continued to struggle. He finished the night with just 10 points on 10 shot attempts. He’s now 8-of-32 from the field through the first two games of the series.

Denver Nuggets 128, Portland Trail Blazers 109

Series tied 1-1

FINAL BOX SCORE

After scoring 109 points in their Game 1 loss, the Denver Nuggets turned the tables and held the Portland Trail Blazers to 109 points in their Game 2 victory.

Presumptive MVP Nikola Jokic was the strong constant between both games. On this night he had 38 points on 15-of-20 shooting, eight rebounds, and five assists. Instead, it was on his teammates to make adjustments to even this series before it moves to Portland for Game 3. In Game 1, only three Nuggets outside of Jokic scored in double-figures, combining for 51 points. In Game 2, five of Jokic’s teammates had 10+, combining for 70 points.

Portland’s story is basically the inverse of that. In Game 1, the starting backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined for 55 points. However, they were bolstered by 58 points from the four Blazer teammates that also finished in double-figures.

Lillard and McCollum were big again in Game 2, coming together for 63 points. Unfortunately for them, Norman Powell was the only other Blazer to reach double figures, logging 15 points. Jusuf Nurkic, largely considered to be the third guy in Portland’s Big Three went from a 16-point, 12-rebound, five-assist performance in Game 1 to a seven-point, 13-rebound outing in Game 2 that saw him foul out with 9:58 left in the fourth.

As the series moves to the Pacific Northwest for Game 3 on Thursday, it’s clear that this meeting of Northwest Division rivals won’t depend on the dazzling play of Jokic, Lillard, or McCollum. Instead, it will be on the role players and the strength of their contributions on the offensive end.