D'Amato: Bucks' Thon Maker impacts series with high-octane minutes

Gary D'Amato
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Thon Maker isn't happy aftter he felt he was intentionally shoved. Maker had five blocks on Sunday.

Thon Maker arrived at the Bucks’ practice facility the day before Game 3 of the team’s NBA first-round playoff series against Boston and found center John Henson getting treatment on his back.

“Just be ready,” Henson told Maker.

Maker’s playing time had diminished down the stretch in the regular season and the 7-foot-1 center had gotten on the court for one minute in the first two playoff games combined. His contribution, if you want to call it that, was getting teed up from the bench in Game 2.

With Henson out, how would he handle a prominent role in a tense playoff series?

It’s no exaggeration to say Maker has been one of the keys to the Bucks’ resurgence after they fell into a 2-0 hole and looked oh-so-sweepable. He’s used his 87-inch wingspan to block a dozen Celtics shots, has knocked down big three-pointers and has brought tremendous energy to the court.

BOX SCORE: Bucks 104, Celtics 102

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In Game 4 Sunday, a 104-102 Bucks victory at the BMO Harris Bradley Center that evened the series at 2-2, Maker blocked five shots, altered several others and scored eight points. His ability to protect the rim and cover up players’ mistakes on defense has made an impact that cannot be overstated.

Maker is the first player to block five or more shots in back-to-back playoff games since DeAndre Jordan in 2014.

“Thon is playing extremely assertive,” Bucks coach Joe Prunty said. “The blocked shots are going to stand out because it's something that someone can see on a stat sheet. But he has a presence out there. They know where he is.”

The last thing Celtics coach Brad Stevens probably thought he’d have to do after going up 2-0 in this series was make adjustments for a player who averaged 4.8 points during the regular season. But after Maker blocked seven shots in Game 3, Stevens did exactly that.

“The big is sitting right there waiting for me,” Maker said. “As soon as the guard is about to drive, he tries to seal me so I don’t come down and block the shot. Yeah, they’ve made adjustments. Now it’s my turn to make adjustments, as well.”

Maker played 24 high-octane minutes in Game 3 and 31 on Sunday, the crowd saluting him with ovations each time he checked in or out. At one point, he blocked a shot by Marcus Morris from behind and his momentum carried him out of bounds, where he spontaneously high-fived Bango. The roar lasted several seconds.

“These are the moments everybody plays for, everybody who loves this game,” Maker said. “You’ve got to find a way to win, you’ve got to find a way to impact the game. I try to do that every single time.”

In a physical series, Maker would seem to be at a disadvantage because of his thin frame and the Celtics have done their best to push him around. Twice Sunday, he tangled with 265-pound Boston center Aron Baynes and both players sprawled to the court. The second time, a displeased Maker got up ready to fight and had to be pulled away by teammates.

“I like it,” Maker said. “This game, if you’re not physical you’re not going to succeed. I think they did a good job of that tonight but we did a good job as a team, as well, covering my back. It’s going to happen. Teams tried it even last season. I did a good job last year of coming back knowing how to use my body and use my feet first.”

As well as the Bucks’ starters played in the last two games, Maker and fellow reserves Jabari Parker and Matthew Dellavedova were the difference. Parker has found his rhythm after a tough start to the series. Dellavedova has ratcheted up his in-your-face defense and made a huge play Sunday when he stole the Celtics’ inbounds pass as time was about to expire in the first half and in one motion scooped the ball up and in off the glass.

And Maker has been in some ways the team’s emotional heart and soul.

“I’m not perfect,” he said. “I’m going to mess up, but I always say I’ll mess up going 1,000 mph.”

The series shifts to TD Garden in Boston for Game 5, where Maker will be the villain. But the Bucks’ victory in Game 4 guaranteed that there will be a Game 6 in Milwaukee on Thursday.

“The energy level was crazy today,” he said. “That’s what we’ve got to have when we come back. It will be awesome. It will be awesome.”