PG Indy - GARY TRENT JR. - Big Third Quarter Cuts it to 2-1

[MickeyDavis]

All series long, the Pacers have sent help from the top of the floor on Antetokounmpo drives and post-ups on the wing. Trent knew that, so he went to the spot where he would find an open shot, the wing above Antetokounmpo’s attack. Trent made himself available as Antetokounmpo attacked and Antetokounmpo passed it back to a wide-open Trent for the triple.

“Obviously, we understand how they’re trying to defend us and who they are trying to guard and take Giannis out and take Dame out,” Trent said of being one pass away from a post-up by Antetokounmpo. “So there is certain opportunities that may present itself and just knock the shot down.”

[German Athens]

Dame’s such an insightful, open, good dude.

I desperately want to see him get his legs back.

He deserves a really good crack at things.

[ShootingtheJ]

All series long, the Pacers have sent help from the top of the floor on Antetokounmpo drives and post-ups on the wing. Trent knew that, so he went to the spot where he would find an open shot, the wing above Antetokounmpo’s attack. Trent made himself available as Antetokounmpo attacked and Antetokounmpo passed it back to a wide-open Trent for the triple.

“Obviously, we understand how they’re trying to defend us and who they are trying to guard and take Giannis out and take Dame out,” Trent said of being one pass away from a post-up by Antetokounmpo. “So there is certain opportunities that may present itself and just knock the shot down.”

This is light years better than the ATO we ran down 3 in game 2 where Kuzma was 1 pass away.

[yb90]

I still don't understand why Doc doesn't play pick and roll over and over with Dame, Trent and Giannis?

Second, if you're going to play Lopez, please post him up, rather that having him sit 30 feet from the basket. Two more coaching blunders.

It's probably two or three reasons:

1) Dame does not have the legs to do it consistently
2)Giannis likes the ball in his hands to make the right play.
3) Doc is dumb

Hopefully, Lillard changes his mind set slightly while he gets back into game shape. I think he needs to attack the basket more and stick to spot up 3s.

[BUCKnation]

This is exactly the shot diet both aj and gtj should have. At least 20 3’s between them, obviously not expecting 13/20 combined but almost all the looks they had were good, other than a few heat checks. Kind of made up for the good looks dame, bobby and others were missing.

Despite the hot 2nd half, they still shot below the season avg

[tedbrogen]

Rollins needs to return to the rotation. We don't have enough defenders without him to move on from Kuzma, and we need to move on from Kuzma because he's killing the offense.

Yep, divide up Kuz minutes between AJG and Rollins. Pacers play three guards but Doc insists on playing three bigs.

[emunney]

Dame

“One thing I told the team when they were trying to get Gary here and I was trying to make that connection and bring him here was I told them this is one of the most confident players that I’ve played with,” Lillard said after Friday’s game. “Unshakeable guy. His confidence is steady. His work ethic is steady. Very stubborn. And he’s a guy that’s not going to fold up when moments come. And he’ll be there.

“That was one thing I would have stood on the whole time with Gary. When he has a performance like tonight, I know how much he really believes in himself. Some people believe when it’s going well, some people kind of get down on themselves, but I know his thoughts of himself, the true confidence. This type of game does not surprise me by him and it came at a time when we needed it.”

Was thinking about this last night, how it seems like the rest of the team is hot or cold together, and he's just got his own pattern.

[drdrG]

It seems like when Dame, GTJ and AJG combine for 25+ 3pt attempts, our offense has a very high floor. Dame didn't help the averages directly but a combined 14/28 from those three typically means Giannis is feasting in the paint and we have good floor balance and offensive flow.

Rollins hasn't had much of a role in this series but I trust his shooting enough and defense as the fourth guy in this group. Giannis should play 40 minutes a game and not a single minute should come without at least one but ideally 2 of these guys on the floor.

Really liked Sims minutes last night, felt like he made everything tougher on O for Indiana and was really active on the boards. Even when he didn't get an O rebound, he delayed their transition and could get back down the court.

[midranger]

Ask yourself, did the Bucks know… on draft night 1995?

[BUCKnation]

Indiana might win the series, but I've never seen a team full of more frontrunners in my life.

Hey, they were down 1 when mathurin got T’d up for talking to Giannis

[tedbrogen]

It seems like when Dame, GTJ and AJG combine for 25+ 3pt attempts, our offense has a very high floor. Dame didn't help the averages directly but a combined 14/28 from those three typically means Giannis is feasting in the paint and we have good floor balance and offensive flow.

Rollins hasn't had much of a role in this series but I trust his shooting enough and defense as the fourth guy in this group. Giannis should play 40 minutes a game and not a single minute should come without at least one but ideally 2 of these guys on the floor.

Really liked Sims minutes last night, felt like he made everything tougher on O for Indiana and was really active on the boards. Even when he didn't get an O rebound, he delayed their transition and could get back down the court.

One of the big differences with Sims versus Brook is that if Sims is near the rim on offense, he can still get back on D. When Brook is near the rim, it’s an automatic 5 on 4 the other way even after made shots. That’s why the Pacers don’t care if Brook goes down low on a guard, even if he scores, they’ll get the bucket back right away.

Brook also knows this which is why he prefers to camp out at 25-30 feet above the break.

It’s been a thing for years but only gotten worse as he has aged and as the league has gotten younger and more athletic with teams like the Pacers pushing the pace even off makes.

[BUCKnation]

Yeah, Sims has an extremely limited game but his tenacity on the boards and mobility at his size are 2 things we don’t really have outside of Giannis

[-Jragon-]

It's not a coaching error to not Post Brook vs Indy. It's specifically because Brook needs to get back on D and that extra 24 ft allows him to. He has 1/3 the foot speed of the slowest Pacer.

[-Jragon-]

Dame not pouting because he's missing shots and still playing hard D and being a disruptive difference maker in other ways is why I like him.. many of our past stars were opposite.

[yannisk]

Giannis is averaging 35.7 ppg 14 rpg 4.7 apg on 69% TS and we are still losing 2-1

we have about 30 people in the coaching staff and nobody has figured out (or convinced Rivers) which lineups work and which don't

[Baddy Chuck]

I get the Dame hate from you and yes he needs to shoot better. But he played very good defense last night no matter how much you don't want to admit it.

Siakam had a great shooting night thanks to Dame getting switched onto him, no matter how much you want to admit it.

Typical Dame night, people get distracted by the highlights and ignore the whole body of work.

I couldn't watch the first two games, so i watched this one twice. Dame played very good defense from what I saw. Usually, he doesn't. But he was fired up. Which begs the question, why can't he do that more?

He also just straight up had 2 scoring plays being switched onto Dame culminating in a combined 3 points.

[tedbrogen]

It's not a coaching error to not Post Brook vs Indy. It's specifically because Brook needs to get back on D and that extra 24 ft allows him to. He has 1/3 the foot speed of the slowest Pacer.

That’s why he shouldn’t play, shouldn’t be more than a min salary player going forward, and can’t be relied upon on a contender anymore. His negatives far outweigh his positives in the modern NBA.

[tedbrogen]

Giannis is averaging 35.7 ppg 14 rpg 4.7 apg on 69% TS and we are still losing 2-1

we have about 30 people in the coaching staff and nobody has figured out (or convinced Rivers) which lineups work and which don't

No time to discuss strategy when all Doc wants to do is golf and go to dinner.

[-Jragon-]

Did someone already say that Giannis and GTJs 74 combined points is a Bucks playoff record for 2 players?

[-Jragon-]

Just needed one more three from Trent Jr. and a garbage three from Indy for 120-104

Oh well, good win. Dame with a horrible offensive game but he came through on defense late. Trent Jr. and Giannis saved this game.

Dame had good D MOST of the game - not just at the end. Used his quick feet and hands to cause disruption and chaos.. rejected PS and TS down by the hoop like a 6ft Giannis. Several deflections plus forcing his guy to pass by stopping penetration or their spot up