No home-court letdown this time as Bucks flip the script
The last time the Milwaukee Bucks played in the post-season on their home court, a pumped-up crowd filled the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Game 6 against the Chicago Bulls.
That was two years ago and the fans experienced a big letdown as the Bulls eliminated the Bucks with a 120-66 blowout, the biggest loss in franchise history.
Fast-forward to Thursday night and another playoff sellout crowd ready to roar for anything positive.
This time the crowd of 18,000-plus had plenty to scream about as the Bucks responded with a 104-77 rout of the Toronto Raptors and grabbed a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference series.
Bucks coach Jason Kidd was asked if he had heard a more vocal crowd in the Bradley Center in his three years with the franchise.
“No,” he said. “But it’s a start. We need that and we look forward to having them out here on Saturday afternoon (for Game 4).
“But they were into it for 48 minutes.”
GAME STORY: An overwhelming performance
RELATED: Dellavedova adds shooting to gritty personality
D'AMATO: Bucks win fight by sticking together
Khris Middleton hit only 10 of 29 shots in the first two games of the series and was 1 for 10 at the outset of Game 1.
This time the Bucks forward set the tone for the entire game as he scored nine of his team’s first 13 points, and suddenly the rout was on.
“I was trying to get to my spots off the screens and be aggressive,” Middleton said. “I’ve had those great looks the first two games. It was just a matter of knocking them down.
“It’s a good feeling; you just can’t let up. That was our whole thing. Keep being aggressive and keep it going the whole game.”
The Bucks did as they ended with a 27-point margin of victory, their largest in a playoff game since they beat Atlanta by 29 points in 1984. The Raptors’ 77 points were the fewest by a Bucks playoff foe since Philadelphia scored 74 points in May 2001 in the Eastern Conference finals.
Middleton finished with 20 points and seven assists and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
It’s a bad night for Toronto when all-star DeMar DeRozan doesn’t even score a basket. He was 0 for 8 from the field and finished with eight points from the foul line.
“They just kicked our (bleep),” Raptors forward P.J. Tucker said. “There’s nothing else. They came out and did what they wanted.
“They came out and blitzed Deebo (DeRozan), blitzed Kyle (Lowry), got it out of their hands. We didn’t make quick decisions off the ball. We didn’t cut. We didn’t get open shots. We just sat back and let them do what they wanted to do.”
The Bucks never allowed even a mini-comeback by the Raptors and led by as many as 34 points late in the third quarter.
BOX SCORE: Milwaukee 104, Toronto 77
NOTES: Kidd cuts down center rotation
BUCKS PODCAST: Chance to swing series at home
NBA: Scoreboard | Thursday game recaps
Serge Ibaka drew a technical foul after protesting a goaltending call and spiking the ball into the floor. Lowry complained about several calls and seemed bothered by the tight defense played by Dellavedova.
“I thought they took their foot off the gas,” Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “They complained a little bit with the refs, and I thought we got in their head a little bit, and that’s what we wanted to see.”
The Bucks limited the Raptors to seven field goals in the second half of a 97-83 victory in Game 1. On Thursday the Raptors made only 7 of 30 shots in the first half while the Bucks took a firm grip on the game.
“I think we’re starting to deal with our defense (more),” Middleton said. “We’re learning how to play smart basketball, learning how to use our length and trying to play to our advantage more.
“Letting Giannis push it, and then following behind him. If we don’t have it, just come out and be patient, move the ball. Try to find the best shot possible.
“We’ve been doing that the past couple months or weeks. It’s been working for us. It’s just not trying to do it all by ourselves. Just use each other and find the best possible shot.”
Antetokounmpo made a point in the post-game conference to praise Tony Snell, who had the primary defensive assignment against DeRozan.
Snell has guarded the top wing scorer on opposing teams throughout the regular season and has used his lean 6-foot-7 frame effectively.
“We’ve got to talk about Tony Snell,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think he did a great job guarding DeRozan.
“We’ve just got to keep the score low and we’re going to be in the game.”