If you or someone you know can score the basketball, the Milwaukee Bucks need your help. Specifically, Giannis Antetokounmpo needs your help on Sunday for game 7 vs the Boston Celtics. If you’ve ever wondered just how important Khris Middleton is to this team (now that he’s officially OUT for game 7), you’re seeing it against a really, really good team in Boston who is doing a PHENOMENAL job of making things rough defensively. Get well soon, Khris.
We’ve seen this before
Game 6 of the Bucks vs Boston series felt like a repeat performance of many the last 5 years of playoff frustrations: When Giannis gets no help, Milwaukee loses. The Greek Freak needs help. Even superstars can’t win games on their own. Not against this Boston squad. I’m not uncovering any new basketball revelations that you don’t already know nor am I breaking down the game like never before. It was especially present in the “pre Jrue Holiday” era when literally no one could hit a shot when the “Giannis wall” was built.
No one is helping Giannis outside of Jrue. 
Ok…Pat helped out last night during game 6. He was big but 14 points from one guy off the bench doesn’t help when everyone not named Giannis or Jrue disappears. Either everyone else is slumping at the same time or Boston is forcing them to play like crap. Someone needs to step up. When 3 of your 5 starters combine to score 13 points like Wes Matthews (4), Brook Lopez (6), Grayson Allen (3) did last night, you’re not gonna beat this Boston team. Allen got PAID. He needs to show up better than the 10 points he’s scored in the Bucks last 2 playoff losses COMBINED. Brook Lopez has disappeared for most of this series. I used to think every 3 pointer from Splash Mountain was going in. Now I just hope they hit the rim so Giannis can get a put back and an “and 1”. And what happend to Bobby Portis last night? A high emotion HOME GAME and Bobby only gets the Bucks 4 points? WTH?
Other Celtics are helping Tatum
Jason Tatum took over last night. There wasn’t much anyone could do. He turned into 90’s Michael Jordan. Most of his 46 came against George Hill (more on that in a sec) and the C’s got 20+ points from Marcus Smart & Jaylen Brown (Reminder that the Bucks other 3 starters scored 13 combined). Remember the “Al Horford” game a few nights ago? The one where 75-year-old Al Horford scored 30? Or back when Jaylen Brown scored 30 in game 2? That’s BALANCE. That’s helping out your superstar.
Where’s Jevon Carter?
The popular internet take is that Bud is hurting the Bucks by playing George Hill over Jevon Carter. I can’t argue it and while you can blame Bud for sticking with this too long, the truth it that Hill over Carter isn’t the reason the Bucks lost. I’m not sure what Carter can do vs Tatum but anything less that allowing 40 would be nice. Enjoy these analytics, Jevon Carter stans:
In the playoffs, Milwaukee is +26.1/100 in 245 non garbage time possession with Jevon Carter on the floor. They are +0.3/100 in the 706 possessions with him on the bench BEFORE tonight’s game.
— Anchorage Man (@SethPartnow) May 14, 2022
Giannis was HISTORIC.
Giannis did his thing and went for 44/20/6. He’s the 1st guy to go for 40/20 in a playoff game since Shaquille O’ Neal in 2000. He’s only the 3rd player in NBA history to go for at least 40/20/5 in a playoff game. The others are Shaq and a guy named Chamberlain. You’d love to see him do it again in game 7.
But here’s the problem: As great as Giannis was, this Boston team is too deep, too talented, too well-coached and too driven to lose to one guy. And now they hosting game 7.
Can someone please step up to help him?
