6 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks Game 3 thumping of Bulls

The Milwaukee Bucks responded like the champions they are following their disappointing Game 2 loss against the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the NBA playoffs. With the series moving to Chicago, the Bulls’ fans were hungry to carry over the momentum they sustained in the previous contest. The Bucks had other plans and dominated from the opening tip.

The Bucks took Game 3 by 30 points and regained a 2-1 series lead. It took a team effort with six players scoring nine or more points, including four of those who scored between 16 and 22. Let’s quickly recap six takeaways that stood out from the dominating victory.

Here are six takeaways from the Milwaukee Bucks destruction of the Chicago Bulls in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

Bobby Portis: A rhythm shooter

Portis was inserted into the starting lineup in Khris Middleton’s injury absence, giving the Bucks a jumbo look with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the three. He quickly established himself by getting off to a hot start and scoring eight points in the first four minutes and three seconds of gameplay. He finished the night with 18 points on 7-for-14 scoring and 4-for-8 from downtown.

Part of what was so impressive about his game is his ability to create rhythm going into his shot. That little extra movement is so crucial for most players and allows them to get their feel for their mechanics. Portis is one of those guys.

As Antetokounmpo is sizing up his man on the left baseline, Portis sits in waiting at the top of the key. And not just at the top of the key, but a number of feet behind it. This is so that when he catches the pass, he can create that rhythm for himself by stepping into the shot and firing away.

Above is another example. As Antetokounmpo pushes the ball up the court on the left wing, Portis slyly walks up midcourt and pauses just in front of the tip of the Bulls’ horns. He’s already crouched with his hands up and waiting for the pass, making it as simple as 1-2-3 when the ball comes and he needs to quickly get a shot up. Yak Yak!

Bobby Portis was a rebounding machine

Speaking of Portis, he was a rebounding machine last night. It didn’t feel like it–at least to me–but he finished the contest with a game-high 16 boards. He’s always been a good rebounder and that’s been part of the allure in Milwaukee as well. He works extremely hard on both glasses and it pays off in both small and big ways for the Bucks.

Who is Luca Vildoza?

With the Bucks whooping the Bulls, it was time for the bench units to run the coop for most of the fourth quarter. And one man stole the show for Bucks’ fans–Luca Vildoza. Milwaukee just signed Vildoza a couple of weeks before the postseason began and he’s a mystery to most people. However, it was impossible to ignore the passes he was making.

Not all of them were successful and got to their intended targets, but this one was a thing of beauty. It was only garbage time and very limited minutes, but I’m excited about what he brings to the table. Milwaukee needs to find a quality backup point guard: could Vildoza fill that void in the long-term?

Jrue Holiday took care of the rock

Jrue Holiday had a rough go in Games 1 and 2, reminiscent of some of the struggles he had on the offensive end a year ago. Through two games in the series, he was averaging 15 points, six assists, six rebounds and five turnovers per game while shooting 12 for 32 (37.5 percent) from the field.

With Middleton out and Alex Caruso sliding over to him on the defensive end, life was about to get even tougher for the Bucks’ star. Fortunately, Holiday responded and played the way we all knew he could. He only scored 16 points, but shot 50 percent from the field by making seven of his 14 field goal attempts. Most importantly: He only coughed the ball up two times.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was making all the right reads

Antetokounmpo didn’t flex his scoring muscles in this game, finishing with only 18 points. What he did was create a ton of great looks for his teammates. He finished the game with nine assists and a whopping 18 potential assists (meaning he created open looks for his teammates but the shots didn’t fall).

Antetokounmpo was making all the right reads as the Chicago defense loaded up to stop him in the paint. It was the type of improvement in his game that hasn’t always been there in past playoff performances. We already saw two of them above where he found Portis for open threes, but let’s break down the below pass to Grayson Allen.

Alone at the top of the key with Tristan Thompson trying to defend him, this is a drooling mismatch for the reigning Finals MVP. He attacked to the left elbow before he spun back to his right–one of his patented moves that usually sets up an emphatic finish in the lane. This time, however, he stays under control the entire time and used the spin to find Allen relocating to the right-wing. Splash.

The Grayson Allen Game!

That’s the perfect segue to Allen. With the Chicago crowd all over Allen from the tip, he responded in kind by having the best performance of his postseason career. In just 25 minutes, he finished with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 5-for-7 from behind the arc. He was more aggressive in Middleton’s absence and reminded us of the early season, starting version of Allen. At one point, the Bucks’ bench was even booing him. You love to see it.