The Milwaukee Bucks got through by the skin of their teeth, 112-111, at the end of an ugly, scrappy game that saw them lead by as much as 18.
This should be a recap for a win, but it doesn’t feel like one.
As in most of the team’s near-losses, it’s the same story on all fronts. Certainly, a win is still a win, and we should take it. Fans should be happy about the victory standings-wise, but not about the team’s performance.
Here’s a quick wrap-up of what we noticed.
JRUE HOLIDAY GAME WINNER!! pic.twitter.com/XkTCXkQLzw
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 5, 2021
Three-point Shooting Matters, Perhaps Too Much
As per usual, when the Bucks’ shooting dried up, so did their offense. After dropping six shots from distance in the first quarter, Milwaukee went on to drain just four more treys in the succeeding three quarters. They finished with a combined 10-34 on three-pointers, good for just 29.4%.
It was alarming how easily they fizzled out of their hot shooting start.
Donte DiVincenzo certainly had a lot to do with it. After a string of excellent games from the field, his inconsistency as the team’s starting shooting guard continues with another wave of poor outings. He finished his 30 minutes with just 7 points on 2-9 shooting and 1-5 from three, most of which were decently good looks. (This performance should raise questions about his possible fit as the bench point guard instead.)
Thankfully, the Grizzlies also shot an equally-abysmal 23.5% on three-pointers. The Bucks defense covered the three-point line quite well, but Memphis seemed to also be in a shooting slump of its own regardless of Milwaukee’s efforts. Even outside of that, the Bucks defense left much to be desired as it let Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks drop 35 and 23 points, respectively, with ease.
If Connaughton’s 3-7 from deep did not pick up on Donte’s slack—the third of which might have saved the game for Milwaukee—the end result might have been very different.
Bucks are Not Composed, Period.
After Milwaukee erected a comfortable 10-point lead, Memphis surged out of halftime and dictated the pace of the game in transition. A lot of calls went their way tonight, but that should never be an excuse for a team with championship aspirations. Biased officiating or not, the Bucks fell apart and gave up their lead with hardly any fight.
Not a knock on any of our players in particular but just something to think about: Bucks are now 2-7 (28.5 WIN%) in games within five points decided in the final five minutes of regulation. They've averaged 7.0 points in their first 8 clutch situations. 28th in the NBA. https://t.co/Tu7mLud29o
— ً (@BucksGotNext) February 11, 2021
A quick 6-0 spurt by the Grizzlies in the third quarter cut the Bucks lead to 9, prompting a timeout by Budenholzer. The adjustments did little to abate the Grizzlies comeback though, and the two teams entered the final frame tied at 84.
The question moving forward should be this: is it a matter of reps or coaching?
At the half, Grizzlies coach and former Bucks assistant coach Taylor Jenkins drew up a better game plan moving forward that relied on a frenetic pace for the young and athletic Grizzlies team. It worked well, and Mike Budenholzer was thoroughly outcoached.
When the Bucks fell apart, Bud went back to his bad habits. Movement in the half-court sputtered and died. Giannis was placed at the top of the key and was asked to make things happen against a set defense. Not many actions were run solely for Middleton to get hot.
That the Bucks’ composure as a team needs work was once again highlighted down the stretch despite the win. With the victory, the Bucks are now 2-8 in games where they were behind or tied by five points or less in the final two minutes of games. The first win was their last one against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Pattern in Those Two Wins? Jrue Holiday.
Jrue’s post-COVID recovery was glaringly clear earlier on in the game. He missed a few good looks under the basket. He seemed a step slow, and it was clear he wasn’t 100% himself just yet.
Down the stretch, though, a Holiday steal on Ja Morant led to a Pat Connaughton three-pointer to earn the Bucks their first lead of the fourth quarter. This came after no less than Holiday himself ran the same play that yielded Antetokounmpo’s game-winning dunk against the Clippers just a game prior.
Jrue tonight:
15 PTS and a GAME-WINNER pic.twitter.com/hzNw4pTGzB
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 5, 2021
A swat by Giannis after this play was ruled a goaltend to snatch the lead right back, but a drive by Middleton earned the latter two free-throws, which he calmly sank. It was the battle of the point guards from then on. With youth up against experience, the latter won out.
With 7.3 ticks left on the clock, Ja Morant put the Grizzlies on his back and scored, no thanks to the Bucks defense. Holiday took it upon himself to right the ship on the other end. With two seconds left in the game, he took what Bucks fans have not seen from the point guard position: a step-back baseline jumper. Game.
Jrue Holiday is a difference-maker, and it showed tonight. He performs particularly well in the clutch, and his composure and control of the game helped offset the Bucks’ lack of both.
He also held Ja Morant to 11-25 from the field. Although the latter still erupted later in the game to finish with 35, he had to earn 10 of his points from the stripe.
Holiday finished with just 15 points on 6-14 shooting, but every one of his shots came at a time when it was sorely needed.
There’s a lot to Work on
The Bucks won the battle, but it’s tough to say that they’re winning the war. Regardless of the good result, make no mistake: the Milwaukee Bucks did not deserve to win this game.
Their third-quarter collapses are becoming something of a trend dating back to the start of Budenholzer’s tenure in Milwaukee. The ball won’t always roll their way, and players like Holiday won’t always bail them out. This is a problem if the playoffs are on our minds.
the shot the celebration pic.twitter.com/pkrATuLaCT
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 5, 2021
It seems like we say this every other game, but it’s clear changes need to be made at this point. Whether that means giving players like Torrey Craig or even their rookies more run remains to be seen.
The Bucks would do well to spend the upcoming All-Star break tinkering with their schemes a bit more. It’s been the same issues haunting them each game. As it stands, they’re not playing like a team contending for a title. How long will fans have to chalk up these lapses to Budenholzer’s experimentation?
Luckily for them, the season has only just reached its halfway point. There’s still time to right their wrongs moving forward.
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