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The second round of the playoffs of the NBA is in full swing. Here are the winners and losers of the Sunday afternoon game list.
Winner: Alfred Horford
The second surname of Al Horford is "Reynoso", a family name inherited from a Spanish royal family that derives its meaning from the Spanish word meaning "king". It's fair to say that in the Celtics-Bucks first match, Horford lived to his namesake. Upon entering this series, Horford had the task of trying to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo. "Stop" is relative. If this season has taught us anything, it is that you do not stop Giannis, you just hope to contain it. But Horford did that and more. When Giannis tried to go to the edge, Horford was the irremovable object that resisted the unstoppable force. The best player in the Bucks was totally baffled for most of the game. Giannis finally managed to attack the rim only at the end of the match.
The Celtics 'defense, with Horford at the wheel, limited Giannis' play. Milwaukee only scored 26 points in the paint, and Horford himself finished with three blocks over Giannis:
It would have been perfectly correct if Horford had focused on the defense and had barely made a breach at the other end. Instead, he fills in the statistics sheet with 20 points, 11 panels and three helpers. Horford is a pillar of defense and has become a valuable conduit in attack. He took 16 shots and made half of them; he hit three of his 5 3s and his mid-range riders felt automatic and most of the time they were also wide open. Giannis is perhaps the best player in the NBA, but in the first game, Horford was the king of the field.
Loser: Giannis
Earth to Giannis – the playoffs, the real ones, have started. The presumed MVP of the league swept the ground with the modest Pistons of the first round. But the Celtics are not the Pistons, and Giannis quickly understood. Less than five minutes into the match, Boston forced Giannis to make a difficult mid-range jump that he missed. When he tried to take advantage in possession of the ball, he was blocked. Giannis also discovered that he was not going to receive the same calls against more starpower. Time and time again, his Eurosteps were stopped and no whistle saved him.
Boston put Giannis uncomfortable and so upset the entire Bucks unit. (If you want an appropriate analogy with Ringer for what happened, here is.) The Bucks were out of sync for most of the game. They could not go out in transition and Giannis could not get them out of the rut because he was the source of the problem
Giannis shot 7 out of 21; he only managed four shots at two points and had to resort to outside work. He made three, but the fact that he took them gladly gave him the impression of recognizing that even if he recognized that he could not get as close as possible to the rim. He finished with a team high of 22 points and a worst of the team minus 24. That sums up the game perfectly: Giannis has the most individual talent on the Bucks, but if he is made to half human, everything falls apart.
Winner: Brad Stevens Playoff
Welp. While the Celtics were leading a stormy regular season, there were rumors that Stevens might not be able to coach a superstar-led team. If there is talent but not cohesion, is not this the case of the coach? Maybe Stevens was waiting for the playoffs to reveal all his cards. The Pacers in the first round were an appetizer; Giannis and the Bucks were the main course.
Stevens devised a perfect plan for the first game not only using Horford to embarrass Giannis, but by throwing him a double team. The strategy revealed the biggest holes in Milwaukee. One of these is the absence of Malcolm Brogdon, who I would like to remind you, who has concocted a 50/40/90 season and who is perhaps the best shooter of the Bucks after Khris Middleton. Brogdon is also a playmaker who brings some form of direction when Giannis does not have the ball. The absence of Brogdon forced Mike Budenholzer to play Pat Connaughton for 24 minutes; Bledsoe, Brown and Connaughton shot 4 of 22 and 2 of 14 of 3 for a total of 14 points. Ersan llyasova also scored 0-in-5. Stevens' strategy was to put Giannis in difficult situations, turn him into a smuggler and let the so-called Bucks shooters around him fire. In the second quarter, Nikola Mirotic made three, and for a second the plan could turn against him. But the Bucks ended up shooting only 33% of deep. Point, Stevens.
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