Bucks repeating last night's performance from 3. They start 3 for 13 and now 10 for 35 over the two games, but they lead by 5.
Bucks reserves open up a 12 point lead near the end of the third.
Bucks offense goes to sleep and let the Cavs cut a 21 point lead to 12 in about 2 minutes.
Bucks put the hammer down and are now up 22.
Bryn Forbes 5 for 5 from 3 and when a guy that is that good a shooter takes shots with no one within 10 feet of him it's tough to stop.
@MichiganPacker2 posted:Bucks repeating last night's performance from 3. They start 3 for 13 and now 10 for 35 over the two games, but they lead by 5.
After starting 3 for 13 the Bucks have gone 11 for 18 from 3.
Forbes = Korver's replacement. Probably a wash on defense but better offensively.
Bucks gave up 45 points in the second half, allowing 45% shooting and 6/28 from 3 for the game. If you’re going to win, that’s how- a commitment to defend.
Bryn Forbes with a 6/6 night from three... holy shit. Middleton 4/5 from 3... 16/34 overall from three. Bucks did in fact make it rain...
Forbes is shooting 48% from 3 this season. He’s a very good shooter and if you leave him open he’s going to hit those shots.
Cleveland is the rare team that actually out scored the Bucks in the paint, but once again Milwaukee owned the glass and only turned it over 9 times. Even more impressive, the ball movement was superb and they racked up 25 assists.
I know 3-4 games aren’t a trend, but we’re starting to see how this team is coming together and the rotations are taking shape. You can’t expect that Forbes is going to shoot like that every night, but Lopez and Portis struggled offensively and it didn’t matter.
This week will be a good test with several road games against decent teams starting Monday in Denver. Historically, the Bucks have struggled there and the Nuggets will be a good test.
In the playoffs last year, Caldwell-Pope turned the Denver series from a contested series into a 5-gamer by getting hot from 3. Once he did, AD and LeBron had room to operate and they overwhelmed them. He made them pay for collapsing, and in all the key moments when momentum was swinging. If Pope goes Bledsoe who knows how that series ends up?
Forbes is a better shooter, and if he can make teams pay for collapsing the whole thing opens up. In a game where the stars are canceling each other out, one guy can turn the tide.
@Music City posted:In the playoffs last year, Caldwell-Pope turned the Denver series from a contested series into a 5-gamer by getting hot from 3. Once he did, AD and LeBron had room to operate and they overwhelmed them. He made them pay for collapsing, and in all the key moments when momentum was swinging. If Pope goes Bledsoe who knows how that series ends up?
Forbes is a better shooter, and if he can make teams pay for collapsing the whole thing opens up. In a game where the stars are canceling each other out, one guy can turn the tide.
He's a version of last year's Korver that is quick enough to match up with a guard and not get embarrassed on defense.
Forbes is by no means a good defender, but he's quick enough to at least close out at the 3 point line. Korver who was pushing 40 last year, was a total liability guarding anyone on the perimeter a season ago.
@Music City posted:In the playoffs last year, Caldwell-Pope Fred Van Vliet turned the Toronto Denver series from a contested series Bucks sweep into a 6-gamer by getting hot from 3.
Playoff series are often swung by some Forbes type getting hot from distance. Last year the Bucks had three guys capable of this (Middleton and Korver and maybe George Hill, and Korver's ceiling was about 8 minutes a game). This year, they have Middleton, Forbes, Augustin, and Holiday capable of this.
I would argue last year the only consistent threats they had from 3 was Middleton and Hill.
This year, they have Forbes and Augustin and Middleton and Holiday that can hit from deep and even a guy like Portis can stroke it. Heck, Lopez and DDV at times have proven they can get hot.
So they simply have more options this year and if things are clicking and guys are hitting shots this is a tough team to beat.
It is worth noting that Budenholzer’s system seems to rely on guys like Korver- and it’s certainly worthy of mentioning that Korver’s only All Star game was under Budenholzer in ATL, when he averaged 2.9 three pointers per game (shooting 49%). That season was a full decade after averaging 2.8 per game for Philly in his 2nd season, resurrecting his career.
Forbes can do that and more- he can actually play make some and create for himself.
They have shot makers this year. It’s up to them to spread the floor and pass it to the open guy. If they do, these guys are good enough to knock them down.
I think we forget just how bad Bledsoe was and Lopez had a down year in 2019/2020 shooting only 31% from 3. Hill was really good, but in crunch time it put a lot of pressure on Middleton. Now, defenses have to respect other guys like Forbes and Augustin and even Portis. Lopez is also back to shooting about 35% from 3 which isn’t great but it’s closer to his career average.
@Tschmack posted:They have shot makers this year. It’s up to them to spread the floor and pass it to the open guy. If they do, these guys are good enough to knock them down.
I think we forget just how bad Bledsoe was and Lopez had a down year in 2019/2020 shooting only 31% from 3. Hill was really good, but in crunch time it put a lot of pressure on Middleton. Now, defenses have to respect other guys like Forbes and Augustin and even Portis. Lopez is also back to shooting about 35% from 3 which isn’t great but it’s closer to his career average.
Eric Bledsoe 3 point shooting in playoff elimination series the last 3 seasons.
Miami, 2020: 3 for 14
Toronto, 2019: 5 for 29
Boston, 2018: 7 for 22
That's 15 for 65 - a 23% clip with a large sample size. Many of these were unchallenged with no one near him.
Bryn Forbes or Holiday could hit that percentage of uncontested 3s blindfolded