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#3 James Harden's struggles
James Harden will need to be good for the Nets to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, but his fitness might be an issue. 'The Beard' missed 21 of the Brooklyn Nets' final 24 games of the 2020-21 NBA regular season with a hamstring injury, but he was ready for the start of the NBA Playoffs.
Harden looked awesome in the first round against the Boston Celtics, averaging 27.8 points and 10.6 assists per game with 55/47/90 shooting splits. However, bad news came when he suffered hamstring tightness in the opening minute of the series against Milwaukee and missed the first four games.
Since returning in Game 5, after Kyrie Irving also fell out with an injury, Harden has not looked good physically. Harden has played 84 minutes combined in the last two games, but he has made only six of his 19 shots, three of his 14 triples and has gone to the free-throw line eight times combined.
If Harden's fitness is not up to the mark for the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks, it will require Kevin Durant to have another historic performance, and even that might not be enough.
#2 Milwaukee Bucks' defense
The Milwaukee Bucks' defense was tipped to make things hard for the Brooklyn Nets in their second-round matchup. But the Nets had their way in the first two games of the series, winning comfortably at home averaging 120 points per night.
However, the Milwaukee Bucks held the Nets to only 83 points in Game 3, and 96 in Game 4. After losing Game 5 on the road, the Bucks returned to the Fiserv Forum and held the Brooklyn Nets to 89 points.
Though the Brooklyn Nets have not been at full strength in any game this series, the offense still had Kevin Durant and James Harden, or Durant and Kyrie Irving together on the court.
The Brooklyn Nets led the NBA in Offensive Rating in the regular season at 118.3 points scored per 100 possessions. However, the Milwaukee Bucks' defense has held the Nets to a 106.3 Offensive Rating through the first six games of the series.
Though Durant is virtually unstoppable, P.J. Tucker has done a good job of bothering him. On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo can defend any player on the Brooklyn Nets' offense as he taken Durant and even James Harden several times in Game 6 with success.
#1 Blueprint for Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 6
Speaking of Giannis Antetokounmpo, he is simply the key to the Milwaukee Bucks' success going forward. Giannis is so talented and great that even though he's put up big numbers against the Brooklyn Nets, he could've done even more in some games.
On offense, it all starts with decision-making. Giannis Antetokounmpo knows what areas he can dominate on offense, but he often feels too comfortable with himself and falls into the trap of shooting three-pointers and handling the ball too much.
In Game 6, Antetokounmpo played within his means, and he was really dominant when the Milwaukee Bucks needed him on both ends of the floor. On offense, he was patient and created good space for his teammates, while scoring 30 points after making 12 of his 20 shots, without attempting a single three-pointer.
His struggles from the free-throw line are well-known at this point, but he made six of his 10 attempts in Game 6. The free-throw shooting will not hurt the Milwaukee Bucks as long as the rest of his offense stays within what he really dominates.
Defensively, Giannis showed intensity and commitment. He guarded James Harden and Kevin Durant on several occasions after the switches and made it difficult for both with his length and athleticism.
His intensity helped him on the glasses too, as he grabbed 17 rebounds (12 defensive and five offensive rebounds). The Milwaukee Bucks will need a disciplined Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 7 to win it, and the Greek superstar might have found the blueprint in Game 6.
He is averaging 30.5 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the series, with a block per night and 56.5% shooting from the field for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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