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Kevin Durant is pretty good at basketball. So are the Bucks, but, man, this is Durant’s series to win or lose.
He’ll have help once again on Thursday night from James Harden - who played well enough in Game 5, but the Nets are hoping to get much more out of him in Game 6.
The Bucks? Well, they are maybe going to ask Giannis to guard KD - maybe?
I think the story here really is just how incredibly talented Durant is but - BUT - I also think this is a crossroads moment for Giannis. He was/is/supposed to be the best two-way player in the league; it’s just that we haven’t really seen him dominate a meaningful playoff series.
He’s still great - it’s just time for him to take that next step, right?
After the game, as always, we’ll be on Clubhouse:
I'm discussing “Nets at Bucks - How Much Will Giannis Guard KD” with @Furnace17, @matt_fein, @portstnique, @maliikawalkerw1, @TomLorenzo, @Kabanja, Brian Fleurantin, @brotherfuture94, @Dmed5, Ron Pdot. Today, Jun 17 at 11:15 PM EDT on @clubhouse. Join us! https://t.co/Xea9SjRqDE
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) June 17, 2021
WHO: Brooklyn Nets (3-2) at Milwaukee Bucks (2-3)
WHEN: 8:30 PM EST
WHERE: ESPN, WFAN-FM (radio)
What do you do when your team collapses like that? That loss on Tuesday has the potential to permanently shake up the franchise and the Bucks are going to need to put together their best stretch of ball if they want to win this series and save themselves from a lifetime of wondering what if. At the very least, a loss tonight is gonna cost Mike Budenholzer his job. That’s the cost of not living up to expectations.
Khris Middleton will have a lot on his plate. He’s the Bucks go-to scoring option and he has to be the one to make big shots for them. He did it in Game 3 and he’s gonna need a 30+ point night to force this series back to Brooklyn. He only went 8-22 in game 5 and that’s not going to cut it.
Although some fans have lost confidence in him, the team still has faith in Joe Harris. He’s still cold from the field, but he’s someone that gets big minutes and will keep getting opportunities. It’s only a matter of time before one of the league’s best shooters gets back on track and has one of those special games. If Harris is still cold, Landry Shamet can step in and provide good shooting from deep.
For more on the Bucks, check out Brew Hoop.