A little sloppy, not at all how they designed it, but in the end quite good thanks to the great contribution of Lopez. This was the story of the day for the Bucks, who were not at their best in Game 1 of the first round series against the Chicago Bulls, but won 93-86 despite turning the ball over 21 times. shooting. 26.3 percent from 3-point ground and back with less than six minutes to play. Antetokunbo was the driving force as usual, he finished with 27 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks, but he also needs help sometimes. In Game 1 he got it from Lopez, who was the Bucks’ second top scorer, scoring 18 points, five rebounds and two blocks in one of his best appearances since returning from back surgery in March. “[Brook was] “a huge key to the game tonight,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. “At both ends of the field he was very good. Lots of great games, ending up around the basket. The game started well, the game ended well, many games around the edge defensively. “It was very important.” Lopez played an important role in the Bucks’ quick start, throwing his weight on the paint at both ends of the floor and scoring a deep three-pointer from John’s feed. After the first six minutes he matched himself with the Bulls (11 points each) and the Bucks increased by 14. The game could, and perhaps should, be turned into a mess from there, but the Bucks’ rust and sloppiness prevented that from happening. (A scout sitting near the press box repeatedly remarked that he could not believe the Bucks’s lack of urgency.) When John took his fifth foul with 8:14 left, the Bucks were left with a one-point lead that will disappear for a while. Select the checkbox to confirm that you want to sign up.
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That was when Lopez came up again. He checked in the game for Giannis after that foul and did not come out until there were only eight seconds left and the game was in hand. During this journey he scored seven points, grabbed two rebounds, saved a shot and helped stabilize the team on both sides of the ball. His presence gave Budenholzer the confidence and flexibility to be careful with John in the stretch, taking him in and out of the game for short runs depending on the situation. Budenholzer undoubtedly got a little too cute with this plan, as John ended up sitting for much of the last 90 seconds – a decision that Budenholzer described as a “little chance” – but it worked because of Lopez. “Brooke did some great work,” Budenholzer said. “It was good that Brooke was playing as he was playing while John had a foul.” One moment, in particular, stood out. After the Bulls scored to make the game one point with just over 90 seconds left, the Bucks went down and went into a mid pick-and-roll with Jrue Holiday and Lopez. Both defenders went to Jrue, so Holiday found him on the short roll and Lopez completed through contact to change the game one-on-one. “Honestly, take the ball in the middle of the paint,” Holliday said. “I think I’m doing my job of attracting two people and then Brooke is taller than everyone. So put the ball in the middle of the paint and let him make a decision. Either he has the floater or the dunk, or he grabs someone another… There is a lot of trust there “. After spending much of the season on the sidelines, Lopez is slowly rounding out in form. His performance in Game 1 reminded him that his presence is vital for this Bucks team to function as intended. Aside from the fact that he came in color for his own points, it was a big reason why the Bulls made 11-of-27 on the edge on Sunday and compromised with the 9-of-23 from the midfield. Against a team of the Bulls that has no size, Lopez will continue to be a key player in this series. “Tonight in the fourth quarter was amazing,” said Giannis. “He was able to get to his points, to shoot his floats, to get to the edge, to make his free throws. Defensively he was amazing, he challenged shots. He is great for us, he is great. He had a great game, we need him keep playing “You play this way, we need him to continue to help the team in any way he can. It’s a big part of who we are.”
