The team defense was great this whole series, and that's what we're gonna need going into Boston." Make him see a lot of bodies, force everybody else to beat us. "That was part of the game plan, that was the game plan. As DeRozan pulls up to try and shoot, three different defenders collapse, and he's forced to drop it off to Javonte Green, who airballs a floater: DeRozan comes off multiple screens, to try and get some space, and as soon as he catches the ball, Wesley Matthews is so far on his right side that he's nearly behind him. Just take this possession from early in the third quarter. More often than not he had to go with the latter. His options were trying to force his way to the rim, shoot contested jumpers or pass. That left DeMar DeRozan as their only real creative force, and the Bucks decided that he was not going to beat them.Īll game long the Bucks sat on his right hip, forcing him to go left, and when he did drive they showed multiple bodies. The Bulls entered this series without one of their best players in Lonzo Ball, and by Game 5 on Wednesday they were also without LaVine (health and safety protocols) and Caruso (concussion). And usually when he's in attack mode he's putting pressure on the rim, he's putting pressure on the defense, he's trying to make it collapse and then he's making the right decisions." 2. He's got a much improved jump shot, he can hit the mid-range, he can hit the 3, but he's been in attack mode. "I think for him, he identifies the game very well at the beginning of games, and he's done it great over this series. "He didn't settle," Pat Connaughton said. Any time you can get your star that much rest during the playoffs - let alone a closeout game - it's a good sign. At some points he used his strength to bully his way to the basket at others he took more of a finesse approach.īoth methods of attack were successful as he shot 11 of 13 in the paint en route to 33 points, nine rebounds and three assists in just 30 minutes. That initial play foreshadowed how the rest of the night would go, as Giannis once again made easy work of a Bulls defense that had no answers for him this series. "I thought he just had the right approach, just like the whole group." "He was part of that approach coming out in the first quarter early, some and-ones, getting to the free throw line, playing unselfishly," Budenholzer said. An impressive play, to be sure, but all a bit too easy for a player of his caliber. Waiting for it on the way down was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who slammed it home with authority for the opening basket. On the very first possession of the game, Bobby Portis missed a 3-pointer in such a way that it caromed nearly straight up into the air. Here are three key takeaways from Game 5: 1. The third-seeded Bucks advance to face the red-hot Boston Celtics, who swept the Brooklyn Nets in their first-round series. The defending champions needed just five games to get past the Bulls, who were missing several key players Wednesday night, including Zach LaVine (COVID protocols) and Alex Caruso (concussion protocols) as well as Lonzo Ball, who missed the entire series due to a season-ending knee injury. Giannis Antetokounmpo finishes with a game-high 33 points as Milwaukee improves to 8-0 in closeout games under head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Milwaukee Bucks are moving on to the Eastern Conference semifinals after eliminating the sixth-seeded Chicago Bulls with a 116-100 win in Game 5.
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