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The Brooklyn Nets claimed Game 1 of their highly anticipated Eastern Conference semi-finals series against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, with a 115-107 win.
The Nets endured an early blow with James Harden being sidelined after re-aggravating his hamstring injury in the first minute of the game. It was the same injury that had kept him out for over a month during the regular season.
But the team's two other mega-stars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving stepped up to help the Brooklyn Nets breeze past the Bucks. Durant scored 25 points on 48% field-goal shooting, while Irving ended the game with 26 points on 43% field-goal shooting.
Blake Griffin played one of his best games for the Brooklyn Nets, notching up his first career playoff double-double; he tallied 18 points and 14 rebounds and shot four threes on the night.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the Milwaukee Bucks' best player, tallying 34 points and 11 boards. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday did not have the best of games at the offensive end, though, as they combined for only 30 points.
The Bucks struggled to keep up with the Nets throughout the game and will have to revisit a few tactics if they are to win Game 2 on Monday. On that note, let's take a look at five things the Milwaukee Bucks need to do to level the series before heading home for Games 3 and 4.
#1 Milwaukee Bucks need to shoot the ball better from the 3-point and free-throw line
The Milwaukee Bucks endured yet another rough start to a series by shooting poorly from long range.
In Game 1 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat, the Bucks finished with 5 of 31 from the three-point line. Nonetheless, they were able to bounce back from that and knock down 22 threes in the next game. They will hope to do the same in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Milwaukee Bucks made just six of 30 shots from the deep in Game 1 against the Nets, which ended up being a key reason for their loss. They also shot 11 of 19 from the charity stripe, missing free-throw attempts in crucial moments of the game.
But the Milwaukee Bucks have lethal shooters in their ranks and if they find their rhythm, the Bucks will fancy their chances of winning on Monday.
#2 Milwaukee Bucks need to limit turnovers
The Milwaukee Bucks are averaging the most turnovers per game in the 2020-21 NBA playoffs so far (14.8) and had 14 turnovers in Game 1 against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets possess one of the most exceptional offensive units and are great in transition. If the Milwaukee Bucks fail to limit their turnovers, they could be in trouble in the rest of the series.
The Bucks' best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has struggled to keep hold of the ball this series. He committed a team-high five turnovers in Game 1 and is also averaging the most turnovers per game (3.4) on the Milwaukee Bucks' roster.
#3 Milwaukee Bucks need to avoid playing Giannis Antetokounmpo as a playmaker
With Giannis Antetokounmpo's turnover rate hurting the team, the Milwaukee Bucks need to restrict his role as a playmaker. Moreover, the Bucks play much better with Antetokounmpo being surrounded by playmakers, who give him opportunities aplenty to score in the paint.
The reigning league MVP can take advantage of his strength and size against the Brooklyn Nets, who don't really have the best rim-protectors in their roster.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks need to attack the paint more
The Milwaukee Bucks have a major advantage when it comes to size and rebounding against the Nets. They exploited the Brooklyn Nets' biggest weakness in Game 1, outscoring them 72-48 in the paint. They will need to do more of that if they aren't able to convert long-range attempts early on in Game 2 on Monday.
The Milwaukee Bucks will also have to make sure to restrict the Nets from grabbing too many rebounds during the game.
The Nets are highly effective from long range. If they are allowed to create an impact in rebounding and score on second-chance points, that could be detrimental to the Bucks' hopes of winning on Monday.
#5 Milwaukee Bucks need to give their star players more minutes
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer surprised many by giving the team's starters significantly less playing time in Game 1. Antetokounmpo (35), Middleton (36), Holiday (37) and Brook Lopez (28) were all benched for long stretches in the game, which hurt the Bucks' chances to a great extent.
In contrast, the Nets' star players, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, played 40 and 45 minutes, respectively. That did garner a lot of attention on social media from fans, analysts and former players.
The Milwaukee Bucks do play deep. But their starters are constantly being used in rotations, which disrupts their flow, especially at the defensive end. That could be quite risky against a team like the Brooklyn Nets.
Budonholzer will have to make sure his best players play for long stretches on Monday to keep the pressure on the Nets.
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