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The Orlando Magic pulled off the biggest upheaval of the NBA Playoffs so far, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 122-110 in Game 1 on Tuesday afternoon. Nikola Vucevic led the way in Orlando with 35 points and 13 rebounds, but he also had a lot of help. Terrence Ross scored 18 points off the bench, while Markelle Fultz and Gary Clark both added 15 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks with 31 points and 17 rebounds, but ultimately his production was not enough to propel his team to a victory. Milwaukee will need to recalibrate and look to bounce back in Game 2 on Thursday.
Thanks in large part to Antetokounmpo’s play, the Bucks secured the East seed for a second straight season, and this year they will look to progress further than last year when they were knocked out in Eastern Conference final by Toronto. Raptors. For the Bucks, anything less than a berth in the NBA Finals this season would be considered a disappointment.
Orlando, meanwhile, will be looking to create a major upheaval against the Bucks and in turn avoid a second straight elimination in the first round. The series will be particularly difficult for the Magic as they will be deprived of the services of some of their younger players, Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba. Ultimately, the Magic will have to play near-perfect basketball if they hope to beat the Bucks, and that’s certainly a tall order.
Here are three main takeaways from Orlando’s thwarted victory over Milwaukee.
1. Where was the Milwaukee defense?
The Bucks had the best defense this season, but it certainly wasn’t like it on Tuesday. Milwaukee surrendered 122 total points against a typically average Orlando offense, and they allowed the Magic to shoot 49% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. Numbers aside, things seemed too easy offensively for Orlando for long periods of play. They were able to penetrate to the rim with little resistance, and they had open long-range opportunities. The fact that Orlando could have been so successful offensively without two double-digit contributors in Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac is even more of an indictment against Milwaukee. The Bucks will need to tighten things up to move forward.
2. Vucevic was the best player on the floor
Antetokounmpo was very solid for Milwaukee, but Vucevic was the best player on the pitch on Tuesday. Vucevic did everything for Orlando by providing the Magic with a post presence and a ground spacer. His 35 points were a game high, as were his five 3-pointers. He also grabbed 14 rebounds, including three on the offensive side. In the process, Vucevic became the third player in Magic history to record at least 33 points and 12 rebounds in a playoff game. The other two players are Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard; not a bad company for Vucevic.
Overall, this was a dominant performance for Vucevic, and the Magic will need more performances like that of their big man if they are to pull off a major shake-up in this series.
3. Solid Magic debut in Fultz’s playoffs
Markelle Fultz played – and started – her first playoff game as a member of the Magic on Tuesday, and overall everything went well. Fultz finished the game with 15 points, six assists and two rebounds in 29 minutes of action, and he continues to look more and more comfortable in the Orlando system. This continued progression by Fultz is a solid sign for Orlando, as the young guard is a big factor in the team’s success, this season and beyond.
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