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Dairyland Madness: Milwaukee Bucks Region Round Two

By Kenny Jilek

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 25: Brandon Jennings #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives against the Miami Heat during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bradley Center on April 25, 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 25: Brandon Jennings #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives against the Miami Heat during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bradley Center on April 25, 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) /
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The Milwaukee Bucks are up again, now in the second round of the Dairyland Madness tournament. Most of the first-round matchups were blowouts, but now it gets more interesting.

Everyone left in the bracket scored at least 40 points in their game which makes some more evenly matched battles in round two of the Milwaukee Bucks region. We have two Ray Allen vs. Giannis matchups and another battle of eras with Middleton taking on Michael Redd.

It will still be tough for the lower seeds to prevail, with most of them being lower scoring performances, but they got through round one and any 40-plus point game has a fighting chance. The other thing that could sway votes is sentimental value. If there’s a multitude of Khris Middleton backers voting then he could knock off Redd. Anything could happen and it’s all up to your votes.

So be sure to vote over on Twitter at the Dairyland Express account or click the link at the end of the article.

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo 52 points, 16 rebounds 2019 vs #8 Ray Allen 47 points 10 threes 2002

Giannis had no trouble at all defeating Monta Ellis in round one, with the largest margin of victory of any of the first 32 matchups in the tournament, getting 95 percent of the votes. After all, this was one of the top 20 games in NBA history. While Giannis did basically everything and shot very efficiently, he did it mostly from inside the paint, although he did hit 3 of the 8 threes that he took.

Ray Allen got his 47 points in a different way. He rained jump shots all night, of course getting inside for some of his buckets as well. Allen hit ten threes and while Giannis missed five threes in his game, Allen only missed four while making seven more. So will a shooting barrage prevail against an inside attack?

#4 Ray Allen 41 points 2001 playoffs vs. #5 Giannis 44 points for his dad 2017

These two matchups both go beyond the stats when considering their greatness. Ray Allen was the biggest star on the 2001 playoff run and this was his best game. In game six of the Eastern Conference finals, he wouldn’t let his Milwaukee Bucks be eliminated easily. He put on a shooting clinic like few others have in the playoffs, hitting nine threes and pushing the series to a seventh game.

Giannis’ 44 points in the third game of the season against the Trail Blazers meant more than face value as well. His dad had passed away and he had an awe-inspiring 44-point performance to honor him. He also closed out the game with a dunk to take the lead and a block on Jusuf Nurkic to seal the win.

#3 Brandon Jennings 55 points 2009 vs. #6 Michael Redd 52 points 2007

It may not be the greatest performance, but it is almost definitely the most famous among most Bucks’ fans. If you ask any fan who their favorite player was before Giannis, you’ll probably hear Brandon Jennings. This game, in only his sixth night in the NBA, was the best game he ever had. It gave hope to a team that hadn’t seen playoff success since Ray Allen and it seemed to signal a new era in Milwaukee Bucks’ basketball.

Michael Redd comes into this matchup with a disadvantage as he scored three points less than Jennings on his magical night. He also has an uphill battle because his great game ultimately ended with a Bucks loss to the Bulls in overtime. In Redd’s defense, he had very little help on that night and Jennings had Andrew Bogut to help him win. Redd also had three steals, while Jennings had none.

#2 Michael Redd 57 points 2006 vs. #7 Khris Middleton 51 points 2020

It’s a franchise record versus a great recent game in this matchup. Michael Redd scored more points in this game than any Milwaukee Bucks’ player ever has. More than Kareem, Moncrief, Allen, or Antetokounmpo…so far. He led the charge that tied the game against the Jazz with 6.9 seconds left after a 19 point deficit, playing 45 minutes trying to get it done. They did lose by two on a last-second Jazz layup, but he did everything he could to get the Bucks back into it.

Next. Dairyland Madness: Milwaukee Brewers Round 2. dark

Can recency bias win this matchup for Khris Middleton? He scored 51 points in what was a huge run of uncharacteristically high scoring games for a bunch of NBA players following Kobe Bryant’s passing. With Giannis Antetokounmpo sitting out, Middleton was free to fire away on offense and he did, shooting 16-26 from the field. The other thing that gives Middleton an edge is that his was a double-double with 10 rebounds and six assists as the Bucks beat the Wizards by 20.

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