After years of frustration as he tried to reach the NBA Finals, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was stuck on the sidelines Saturday as his teammates took him there, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Many feared Milwaukee’s chances were over when Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextended knee in Game 4, but the supporting cast stepped up and dispatched Atlanta without him.
Although Antetokounmpo was injured, he was standing through virtually all of Saturday’s game, cheering on his team and offering advice and encouragement.
“He’s halfway on the court talking to Bobby (Portis), talking to Brook (Lopez), talking to different players, to see that kind of connection, commitment, from a player who would be dying to be out there and playing,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think he appreciates, you know, what his teammates can do.”
There’s more on the Bucks:
- Antetokoumpo’s status remains uncertain heading into the Finals, which will start Tuesday in Phoenix. There was reportedly optimism that he would try to play Monday if the Hawks series had gone to a seventh game. He did on-court work yesterday for the first time since suffering the injury, but little was revealed about that session. Budenholzer told reporters that he will evaluate Antetokounmpo on a day-to-day basis with help from general manager Jon Horst and the sports performance team, tweets Ben Golliver of The Washington Post.
- Milwaukee paid a huge price for Jrue Holiday over the offseason, sending three first-round picks and two potential swaps to the Pelicans, but he’s showing he was worth it, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. With Antetokounmpo injured, Holiday averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 11 assists in Games 5 and 6. “Within the team, we just love playing with him,” Pat Connaughton said. “We love having him on board. We love the type of guy he is as a person. As a player, he always makes the right play. When he’s in attack mode he’s really hard to stop not just from a scoring standpoint but from getting other guys involved, getting guys easy shots, getting open shots, whatever it might be.”
- Budenholzer has been maligned for playoff disappointments in Milwaukee and Atlanta, but he made an important decision after Game 4 that helped swing the series in the Bucks’ favor, Nehm adds. Budenholzer abandoned the team’s traditional drop coverage on the pick-and-roll and asked his big men to switch on ball screens. “He’s done more adjusting this year than he’s ever done before, schemes and some of the things that we’re doing, he’s getting a little more adventurous,” said P.J. Tucker. “And I think the personnel, that gives him a freedom to do that a lot more and that’s one of the reasons we’ve been so successful.”
Bucks need Giannis so hopefully recovers enough to make an impact. Bud has had a breakthrough as a playoff coach. When you play the same team 6-7 times you have to take away their strengths by making adjustments! Funny, though, Tucker is the one interviewed about his adjustments and only joined the team midway through this season.
Idk man… Yeah Bud is finally making adjustments between games, but he needs to take the next step of adjusting in game.
There’s already been half-dozen games this playoffs where we start 2/9 or 4/15 from three, and rather than switch to attacking the paint, he has the team jack up another 20-30 attempts and end up at 8/39, 8/36, 7/33, 6/31, 8/27, and 6/30. The two wins out of those performances held the Nets to under 90.
Good coaches call timeouts when the team struggles, and changes the team’s approach out of timeout. Bud calls a timeout when the team can’t shoot, and draws up a play for a three-point shot.
Agreed, however I’d say he’s done what he’s supposed to have done with what he has, which is the expectation. They could’ve easily rolled over once Giannis went down, but didn’t. He’s done well wherever he’s been – successful as an assistant in San Antonio, did well in Atlanta and not his fault for them not going further during his tenure, and now Milwaukee. With the Bucks the expectations have been the highest in his career, and if he comes through against the Suns, I’d say he need to get some kudos.
He may not be the best at Xs and Os, but keeping the team competitive, adjusting to their skills and not screwing up the team with a ‘philosophy’ is what coaching is about.
Deathbydeathwest How salty are you man? You expect to win every game? He is going to the finals relax I’m sure you couldn’t do a better job.
They’re going to the Finals, but not because of Bud.
The ONLY man he out-coached this post-season(or was capable…all 16 teams) was Nash.
He’s a nice coach, but if Jrue Holiday doesn’t come out attacking with OR without Giannis and they are settling for 3’s…which they’ll almost certainly do in at least one game where they shoot like 5 for 31, then maybe it’d be better if they “can’t agree on a new contract.” That way he’s not fired, they just aren’t forced to keep him.
I like Bud…I really do…seems like a good dude, but the Bucks play REALLY stupid at times. Charles Lee or Darvin Ham taking the reigns may unlock another level for this team.
But it’d be a nice dilemma to have if they win a CHIP!
I think playoff breakthrough is umm.. a strong way of putting it when they barely squeaked by a nets team missing Kyrie and Harden, and the Hawks missing Trae Young for the last half of the series. When the guy would have been fired if they lost the Semi-finals it’s not what I’d consider a breakthrough.
As a fellow sixer fan, getting to the finals is getting to the finals. No one gives a **** how you get there.
You should circle back around because you completely missed my point.
A breakthrough is a breakthrough no matter how it gets done. They made it through the finals right? There you go. When it’s all said and done folks will only remember who won it all. I agree with Garrett no one cares how you get there.
It’s not like that Giannis guy going down is a hard thing to play through. It’s not as though he’s like a 2 time MVP and former DPOY or anything.
How about the Bucks losing DiVincenzo partway through game 3 in the first round and then Giannis for the past 2.5 games? Major injuries that you’re just glossing over. The Bucks and Coach Bud deserve a lot of credit.
Missing the two time MVP and being able to advance says something about the Coaching. In Game 5 they utilized the post on offense with Lopez and Portis. In Game 6 they were draining three’s. The Hawks are a young team that will only get better. The Bucks have tasted the playoffs in the past seasons and now want a drink from the cup. As for Irving? The guy’s a head case who skipped out in the team earlier in the season. I would take Holiday who is quiet and just goes about doing his job over Irving anyway.
I 100 pct agree on Jrue. An elite TWO-way player who is committed(and doesn’t think the Earth is flat). Yeah, I’ll take him over Kyrie. And most people will call us crazy.
Still, I think you’re giving Bud too much credit. The Bucks, even without Giannis, were just too big and talented. Jrue should have been attacking the basket all playoffs long, not just when Giannis went out.
But we’ll see when Giannis gets back. They’re the most Iso heavy team in these playoffs. That’s not how they’re built. Middleton, Giannis, obviously Jrue, they can all facilitate. A little more cutting and motion WITH Giannis could put them over the top in the Finals.
An offense where Giannis just attacks from the top of the key with 4 guys standing around…that’d be telling.
The Bucks were up 2-0 on Toronto, had a lead in game 3…went to 2 OT’s during a season in which they almost certainly would have ended up winning the Title(due to the injuries suffered by the Warriors). Then the struggles last year vs Miami.
I’m not convinced Bud’s actually figured it out so much as the Bucks have overcome the other teams coaching(and they actually went up against a worse coach in the Brooklyn series).
Philliesfan interesting take seeing as nets still had a loaded roster with 2 formers allstar coming off bench and without kyrie who missed the rest of playoffs for birth of his child (his choice). The same can’t be said for the choke job the sixers experienced with a full and healthy roster ahahahahahahahha, enjoy mediocrity cause sixers won’t win a ring for some time.
Missed due to his child?!?! Stop lying!
First of all, Harden and Irvin did not miss the series.
Irvin was playing in Gm 4 when they were losing and got hurt. Harden came back.
BUT, not only were the Bucks without arguably their best perimeter defender in DiVinenzo…despite the fact he doesn’t have the rep and Jrue is first team, but there’s also only ONE ball.
What was Kyrie or Irving going to do on TOP of Green hitting 7 straight 3’s and KD going for 49 points to come back in game 5?
Or when Shamet or Blake went off, or Bowen was scoring nearly 20 a game playing in the front court?
On top of the fact that Kyrie walked away from his team THREE TIMES this past year and Harden came into the season out of shape…the Nets didn’t lose because they couldn’t score. In fact, the series went as long as it did because the Nets were able to defend MUCH better than they had. They played FAR superior defensive players in their places when they weren’t out there.
But still, end of the day, they won a GAME 7 on the road when KD hit a game tying shot with 1 second left and scored 48 points.
Giannis put up 40/13 and was the only one who could defend KD who was 1/6 on shots when Giannis was defending him, and often gave the ball up instead of trying to shoot over him.
Nobody but me said the Bucks would be better without Giannis, and now I say they will not need him right away vs PHX.
For years, MIL has gotten much improved flow without him. It’s just that he rarely misses games. I think he has never missed more than two in a row. So, IDK the longer-term effect if he continues to miss. They could come apart eventually if PHX can figure out how to force it.
For Bud to make the switching adjustment mentioned, it probably helps that GA is not there, and the reason he did it.
Woulda, shoulda, coulda. Fact is you play with the cards you are dealt. Heat lost, Bucks won; Nets lost, Bucks won; Hawks lost, Bucks won. Now onto the finals!
Bucks are soft. They are lucky to get by Nets. Your coach sucks, plain and simple. He’s weak and can’t adjust his tie. He should of been fired after the bubble. Giannis is another guy who has to become a killer. You see KD that’s a killer. Practically beat you by Himself. Middleton to me is the #1 guy on this team. Giannis has not stepped up. If I had his talent. I would of buried Hawks in 4. By Myself. Even with Giannis at 150% they are not beating Suns. MVP means what? if you can’t carry your team past a depleted Nets team. Or a Heat team that has you figured out. Bucks are soft, CP3 will show you what a killer looks like. Winning is about final score. And all you do to get there. Stats are for so called stars. Winning is what real Ballers want. And they do what they need to do. To get it done. Bucks need a new coach and redo team.
Lol you think this year’s Bucks roster is soft? Tucker is a bulldog, Giannis is a beast. Holiday was guarding Collins in the post every other possession in game 6 and even blocked Gallo’s shot. Then you add in Portis (aka crazy eyes) and Connaughton who literally was bleeding on the court from taking an elbow to his face. Soft is the last thing I would call the Bucks.
Agreed not to mention Lopez and Portia stepping up the D along with Holiday and Tucker. Tucker was all over KD, couldn’t stop him but definitely wasn’t from a lack of toughness and effort. Bucks-Suns comes down to M’s front court play vs. backcourt play of Suns and Bucks ability to play physical, winning basketball on the road.
Btw Giannis did carry his team past the Nets.
He averaged 31.9ppg, 12.9reb, 3.6ast and 1.0blks. Those are superstar numbers in the playoffs.
I have to disagree the bucks are not soft this year with tucker and holiday and portis. You got to remember Giannis is hitting his prime and he was used to do it all by him self and now he is learning that he can depend on help from his teammates. him being injured is a blessing to show him that . It going to be a tight finals but I am going to give the edge to the bucks
Al has been steadily wrong throughout the playoffs, yet never fails to remind us. Still waiting for the bandwagon jump.
Weathervanes have use, they just don’t work in a predictive manner, it just passes as data in an endless loop never supplying much worth or value
I still feel like Bud isn’t safe. Even if they win it lol
Looks like the balloons are flying high today — lots of hot air
Suns in 4 & ciao Bud