Just underway. 4 minutes in and it's 5-2 Bucks. Defense has been good. However, Lopez, Middleton, and Bledsoe start 0 for 6 from the field (0 for 3 from deep) with another Middleton turnover.
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Now 12-7 halfway through the quarter. Lopez hits a 3, but Middleton now 0-3 and 12-40 for the series.
The quality of Middleton’s shots is at least half of the reason he’s struggling...
Bucks up 22-18 after 1. Giannis with 8 points on 3-6 from the field.
Middleton 0-5; Bledsoe 0-3.
Bucks now trail after DDV fouls a 3 point shooter and then gives up another 3. Bud yanks him quickly.
Middleton has 3 points midway through the 2nd quarter
What a disaster. Down 1 to a depleted Magic team. Magic on a 12-2 run. Would be nice not to give up wide open 3s.
Middleton is 1 for 8 today.
Middleton is a complete disaster right now. I mean, like G-league level bad.
Middleton is 1 for 9 with 3 turnovers. 13 for 46 in the series, and his defense has been pretty poor as well.
Of course, Bledsoe is 3 for 11 as well.
4 for 20 from the floor and 1 for 6 from 3 from your 2nd and 3rd best players is going to get you beat in most games. Luckily, they are still in the game because they are playing a team with healthy talent the equivalent of a 25 win team.
The Heat will sweep them if they play like this (if they make it that far).
DDV is also a liability right now.
I can't believe how terrible they look right now. It's alarming.
Middleton scores 8 points in 2 minutes in the 4th and they go up 16. If he plays at an average level these games are over in the first half.
He still misses the FT so he's still 4 for 8 from the line for the series.
Bucks steamroll them to start the 4th and get up by 19 and then let the Magic shoot a bunch of wide open 3s and it's back to 7.
Why do keep the drop defense on up 19 and you know they have to shoot 3s to get back into it? Why not adjust?
Going to close it out, but Giannis clanking from the line in the last few minutes (0 for 3) is another bad omen.
Middleton obviously redeemed himself in the 4th and ends with 21 points, 10 rebounds on 4 of 7 from deep.
But how about this plus/minus comparison
Bledsoe, 24 minutes, -16
George Hill, 23 minutes, +30
Bit of a misleading final score, but one more to get to the Miami matchup where Miami might be favored.
Of what looks like the final 4 teams that will likely advance to the 2nd round in the East, the Bucks don't look like the favorite right now.
This team really needed the Fiserv Forum homecourt advantage, and without it, I think it's going to be much tougher as both Miami and Toronto in particular are bad matchups for the Bucks with how easily they hit 3s. Those teams are capable of beating the Bucks anywhere in the known universe but it would have been tougher at Fiserv.
Without question, the Bucks will have to play a level higher than they are currently playing to advance even 1 more round beyond this one.
I’ve said this for a while now they should be starting George Hill and bring in Eric Bledsoe to be more of a change of pace and defensive guy. Hill plays solid D but more importantly he distributes the ball better and is a much better shooter. DDV and Pat C can spell Matthews at the 2 guard.
What’s good about this game is they allowed 18 bombs while having Orlando shoot 40% from 3 and the Bucks still won by almost 20.
Milwaukee still has not had a complete game from the overall team.
@Tschmack posted:I’ve said this for a while now they should be starting George Hill and bring in Eric Bledsoe to be more of a change of pace and defensive guy. Hill plays solid D but more importantly he distributes the ball better and is a much better shooter. DDV and Pat C can spell Matthews at the 2 guard.
What’s good about this game is they allowed 18 bombs while having Orlando shoot 40% from 3 and the Bucks still won by almost 20.
Milwaukee still has not had a complete game from the overall team.
If Middleton continues to struggle, they can't afford to have him on the court with Bledsoe. You can't play two guys that can't stretch the floor together as the 2nd and 3rd options.