I'll start the thread.
Ersan starting for Giannis. I expect no drop-off there.
Need to get Middleton going. Since coming back from his neck stiffness, he's18 for 51 and 6 for 25 from 3.
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Hooray only down 12-2
Inauspicious start
Middleton (0-2) and Bledsoe (0-1) open up with shots
The Suns hit three wide open threes in a row.
9-0 deficit
Suns open up the game going 7 for 7 from the floor and lead 18-6 after 3 and half minutes.
Middleton 0 for 4 from the floor.
Suns 5 for 6 from 3. Up 23-10
Middleton shitting the bed to start. 0 for 6.
This is getting close to the point of waving the white flag in the 1st. Suns can't miss, Middleton is sucking as the featured offensive guy, and they have the Nuggets tomorrow night.
34-16 after 8 minutes.
Middleton finally gets a rhythm and now has 15 points, but the Bucks are down 41-23 with less than 10 minutes gone.
That's right, they are on pace to give up over 200 points. Booker already has 17 points. Suns are 16 for 19 and 8 for 10 from 3.
That might be one of the worst defensive quarters in Bucks history. They give up 47 points to the Suns. Booker was unconscious, but the Suns hit 9 of their first 11 from 3.
47 points.
Bucks 1 for 9 from 3.
The Suns have cooled off to be only 10 for 16 from 3.
Bledsoe making a run here to make it more respectable, but Bucks also getting out rebounded 21-9
It may not be possible to put into words how badly Wes Matthews sucks on offense right now. Unless he's shooting a wide open 3, he's useless.
Booker comes back in and the Suns are back up 24, which is what Booker has scored in 14 minutes of playing time.
Will the Bucks stay within 30? That's really the only question left.
Down by 15.....that's within 30 anyway
Well, I guess this ends the “Bucks are historically good” discussions. They’re going to be a .500 team from here. Giannis shouldn’t play for a couple weeks. Let him completely recharge.
What we’re seeing is the the poor decision making of Middleton and Bledsoe. Giannis was guilty of this too recently, and that’s why their offense has struggled the last 2 months (22nd in efficiency). Sloppy offense as a result of forcing everything.
Get it back to 7 and give up a 9-0 with two terrible turnovers from Bledsoe and Middleton
Running out of gas- no stops, sloppy on offense.
I like the fight, but Bud playing Middleton and Bledsoe 35+ minutes tonight in what was almost always going to be a losing cause after the first quarter sets up a very likely loss tomorrow night (it was going to be a tough game anyway).
I don’t think that’s the mentality anymore. They have played less than 30 min all season. Time to get your sea legs and play 35+ because that’s what it is going to take to win in June.
Suns shooting 56% from the field and getting 31 FT attempts I doubt the Bucks win even if Giannis was healthy and played. You can’t give up 140 and expect to win.
Plus the ill advised turnovers especially late in the game just as they cut it close that’s ridiculous.
Tschmack posted:Suns shooting 56% from the field and getting 31 FT attempts I doubt the Bucks win even if Giannis was healthy and played. You can’t give up 140 and expect to win.
Plus the ill advised turnovers especially late in the game just as they cut it close that’s ridiculous.
No way the Bucks lose if a healthy Giannis plays. Do you really think a team with Giannis would give up 47 in the first quarter or get that badly out rebounded? They were out rebounded 21-9 to start the game.
Bucks outscored them in 3 out of 4 quarters....but ...giving up 47 in Q1 was insurmountable.
If you love basketball, gotta appreciate Devin Booker....really nice player.
Name me one game they’ve won this year allowing a team to shoot and score like that? The Suns can score points. Sure Giannis would have helped defensively but man I don’t know. People say James Harden is the best but in terms of a pure volume scorer I’d say Booker
I’m far more troubled by the turnovers and poor shooting. It’s becoming a consistent problem that predates Giannis’ injury because he was a party to it. They’re missing layups, forcing things, and now they’re losing games. The intensity has been dialed up, and in response they’re playing a sloppy brand of basketball.
It’s not like they have a championship to fall back on- this team needs to be reminded that they have proven nothing. You keep playing sloppy ass basketball you’re going to prove all the doubters right. They need to get that chip back on their shoulders and start playing heady basketball again. I think the ass kickings have gotten to their head- they’re not playing with an edge anymore.
How can the Bucks respond to a loss by giving up 47 points in the first quarter?
That's just wrong.
phaedrus posted:How can the Bucks respond to a loss by giving up 47 points in the first quarter?
That's just wrong.
Two things. Obviously the Suns shot lights out in the first quarter. But the reason there was so many open looks from 3 is that the Bucks played large portions of that quarter with both Ilyasova and Brook Lopez on the floor. The Suns opened the game 9-0 in the first minute and a half and the Bucks never got closer than that for the rest of the game (I know it was 107-100, but the 9-0 start put them in the hole). Those shots were more wide open than normal because Giannis is so good at protecting the rim AND getting back out to contest 3s. When 2 of your 5 guys are slow at closing out on 3s that's what can happen. Lopez is a great rim protector, but Giannis is what makes that whole defense function.