Eastern Conference Finals: Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors

[PeaveyFury]

As someone else already mentioned, fatigue was already a huge factor at the end of this game. Lowry was the ONLY Raptor to hit a FG in the 4th quarter. Fatigue is only going to be more of a factor going along.

 

Toronto just played a game where most things went the way they wanted to, and they still lost. Hard not to be excited as a Bucks fan.

[coolhandluke121]

Yeah, they were exhausted. And this is the only game this series where they will be playing on more than 1 day of rest. Not a good sign for them.

[homer]

The great thing is, Toronto was really only successful when they pushed the pace yesterday. Halfcourt game they didn't do much on offense. So basically the one thing they can do well they can't do the whole game.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Any team that tries to outrun the Bucks is playing right into their hands.

[coolhandluke121]

I made my first GIF! Let's see if I can upload it...

 

http://

 

Ugh, what am I doing wrong? Tried all sorts of URL/IMG combos but it won't even hyperlink, let alone show the gif in this thread.

[MrTPlush]

I made my first GIF! Let's see if I can upload it...

 

http://

 

Ugh, what am I doing wrong? Tried all sorts of URL/IMG combos but it won't even hyperlink, let alone show the gif in this thread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giphy has a copy link button...use that. Should look like this: https://media.giphy.com/media/26ybwvTX4DTkwst6U/giphy.gif

 

Then just use the "Img" button on the forum and put it in there.

[coolhandluke121]

[wallus]

Nick Nurse is a below average coach. It is so nice to have that advantage for once!

[DuWayne Steurer]

Nick Nurse is a below average coach. It is so nice to have that advantage for once!

 

I just think the Raptors did Dwane Casey dirty. He/the Raptors lost to Lebron James, so he got fired. After a 59 win season. Now they're going to lose to Giannis and the Bucks, after a 58 win season.

[adambr2]

Man, the Blazers had a real great shot to steal Game 2 and they just could not finish the job. That's probably all she wrote out West now. They ain't winning 4 out of 5 against the Warriors.

[FVBrewerFan]

Man, the Blazers had a real great shot to steal Game 2 and they just could not finish the job. That's probably all she wrote out West now. They ain't winning 4 out of 5 against the Warriors.

 

Very similar to game 1 Bucks/Raptors.

[homer]

An interesting blurb in The Athletic today about three-point shooting.

 

"The Bucks believe that by protecting the rim better than any other team and by not sending opponents to the line, they can live with average or worse 3 point shooters taking them. After all, the league average on above-the-break threes this year was a little under 35 percent meaning an average top 3 was worth around 1.05 points (per possession) right around what the Bucks league leading best defense allowed overall."

 

So if a team had 100 possessions in a game and shot 100 three-pointers and made 35 they'd score 105 points.

[brwrsfan]

An interesting blurb in The Athletic today about three-point shooting.

 

"The Bucks believe that by protecting the rim better than any other team and by not sending opponents to the line, they can live with average or worse 3 point shooters taking them. After all, the league average on above-the-break threes this year was a little under 35 percent meaning an average top 3 was worth around 1.05 points (per possession) right around what the Bucks league leading best defense allowed overall."

 

So if a team had 100 possessions in a game and shot 100 three-pointers and made 35 they'd score 105 points.

 

I don't completely disagree with this...IF you can force the shots to be taken by below average to average shooters. If they're coming from guys like Danny Green and Lowry, that's when it becomes a problem. It'll be interesting how that works out if they play the Warriors, as that strategy wouldn't seem to make a lot of sense...almost everyone they have can shoot the 3

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The Bucks ran the Warriors out of Oracle in the one game this year. They did split with them. Maybe this goes without saying, but if it comes down to those two teams it's very likely going to be decided by who is the hotter shooting team at the moment. I understand why the Warriors are the favorite and it's hard to feel any other way, but this also sort of has the makings of the season DET was a large underdog and went up with an aging powerhouse Lakers team and dominated it. Very, very different teams, just a reminiscent vibe.

 

I don't expect the Bucks to dominate the Warriors, I'm not even sure I'd pick them to win. But I absolutely think they can compete with that team and have a chance.

 

Another interesting note is that the Raptors were a dominant team in transition team all year. Second in the NBA in transition %. The only problem? The Bucks were first, and it's a distant first. The Warriors are an even more distant third. If you're Toronto you've won games all year out-running people, except now you have to do it against a team that's done the same thing, only better and with more legs.

[coolhandluke121]

I like to use the 2004 Lakers-Pistons and 2014 Spurs-Heat finals as examples of when it's time to stop making a team a favorite just because of what they did in previous seasons, but I don't think the Warriors are there yet. What they have in common with the decisive losers of those finals is lack of depth, but they're just not old yet. Wade was a shell of himself in 2014. I believe Haslem, Ray Allen, Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis, and Shane Battier were all playing for them and were big liabilities. Karl Malone was hurt in 2004 and Gary Payton was washed up. But Curry, Green, and Klay are still in their primes, and Iguodala can still perform if you manage his minutes. They started winning at a very young age by NBA standards, so it's pretty early to start looking for signs of decline. It's more about being hard to keep your depth as a potential dynasty, which the Bucks will soon learn firsthand.

 

And if Durant is back for that series, they're still an all-time great team near their peak and they're built for the playoffs. They're not a dynasty on the wane until Durant leaves, and even then, it probably won't be age that sinks them - it will just be an exacerbated lack of depth.

[Baldkin]

An interesting blurb in The Athletic today about three-point shooting.

 

"The Bucks believe that by protecting the rim better than any other team and by not sending opponents to the line, they can live with average or worse 3 point shooters taking them. After all, the league average on above-the-break threes this year was a little under 35 percent meaning an average top 3 was worth around 1.05 points (per possession) right around what the Bucks league leading best defense allowed overall."

 

So if a team had 100 possessions in a game and shot 100 three-pointers and made 35 they'd score 105 points.

 

I don't completely disagree with this...IF you can force the shots to be taken by below average to average shooters. If they're coming from guys like Danny Green and Lowry, that's when it becomes a problem. It'll be interesting how that works out if they play the Warriors, as that strategy wouldn't seem to make a lot of sense...almost everyone they have can shoot the 3

 

Three. Three guys can shoot the 3 for the Warriors. That's it. You leave everyone else open and let them bomb away.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

An interesting blurb in The Athletic today about three-point shooting.

 

"The Bucks believe that by protecting the rim better than any other team and by not sending opponents to the line, they can live with average or worse 3 point shooters taking them. After all, the league average on above-the-break threes this year was a little under 35 percent meaning an average top 3 was worth around 1.05 points (per possession) right around what the Bucks league leading best defense allowed overall."

 

So if a team had 100 possessions in a game and shot 100 three-pointers and made 35 they'd score 105 points.

 

I don't completely disagree with this...IF you can force the shots to be taken by below average to average shooters. If they're coming from guys like Danny Green and Lowry, that's when it becomes a problem. It'll be interesting how that works out if they play the Warriors, as that strategy wouldn't seem to make a lot of sense...almost everyone they have can shoot the 3

 

Three. Three guys can shoot the 3 for the Warriors. That's it. You leave everyone else open and let them bomb away.

 

 

That's just it. The Bucks don't have the name recognition or three guys as good as any of those three, but they do have more guys that can shoot threes. I worded that oddly, but I was trying to say Giannis probably still isn't as good as a healthy KD, and the other two guys are certainly better than anyone we have besides Giannis. But they're still just three guys.

[PinaMadness]

My 7 year old son: “I feel like the game is already over.”

 

What have I done?

 

Seriously though, if there was ever going to be a laugher of a win for the Bucks, it's this game.

[PinaMadness]

I am so happy Brogdon is back.

[adambr2]

Is it normal to enjoy browsing through pages of dismayed Raptor board game threads as much as I do, or should I seek help?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Is it normal to enjoy browsing through pages of dismayed Raptor board game threads as much as I do, or should I seek help?

 

No, because for whatever bizarre reason, their fans are incredibly douchey, at least on realgm and Reddit. You'd think they're the Yankees.

 

This series is toast. Not a chance this team beats the Bucks four times. They can't run with them. Starting to get the feeling the Bucks may be an all time great. When they're rolling they are just a juggernaut. Embarrassing the best teams in the league.

[adambr2]

Would like to see them start holding a little later on these last shots. 4 seconds is a world of time in the NBA. Holding for last shot isn't useful if it isn't the last shot. Have given up buzzer 3's to end the 3rd in both games this series because we left too much time.

[CheezWizHed]

Is it normal to enjoy browsing through pages of dismayed Raptor board game threads as much as I do, or should I seek help?

 

Perfectly normal. Please share links.

[PinaMadness]

How many illegal screens are the refs going to let Ibaka get away with?

[CheezWizHed]

How many illegal screens are the refs going to let Ibaka get away with?

 

Its been pretty variable all night. A few "iffy" fouls on the screen and a few Giannis got away with that I was surprised too.

 

Edit: Fouls, in general, have been that way tonight. A bunch of ticky-tack fouls and some "wow, that wasn't a foul"? calls.