by Ryan Mercier
Every series in the second round of the NBA Playoffs has a shot to be tied 2-2. Here’s a quick view into the two series continuing on Monday night.
Bucks Lead 2-1 Over Celtics
Boy oh boy oh boy. After an ugly, grinding game where Al Horford of all people was an important scoring option, the Boston Celtics almost stole Game 3 on the road. This could have been a knockdown punch to the defending champs.
Instead, the right team won. The Bucks went into the 4th quarter with a 13-point lead and Giannis had his best game of the series.
On Saturday, Jayson Tatum had one of the worst games of his career. That’s been highlighted enough. Robert Williams was floating through the game with some forgetful minutes, Marcus Smart was working his way back from injury, and Horford was being leaned on far too often to score.
Jrue Holiday played much better on offense in the second half and it is a joy to watch his smarts on defense. Without Khris Middleton, it will be very interesting to see if Milwaukee has enough offense to close out the series. It’s easy to say Holiday took too many shots (30! attempts) but, besides Giannis, who else should be taking them?
Warriors Lead 2-1 Over Grizzlies
This insanely fun series suddenly took a dark turn. First, Dillon Brooks slammed Gary Payton II’s elbow into oblivion. Payton is missing time with an injury as Brooks served a 1-game suspension. Then, Jordan Poole took the first bad PR hit of his beloved yet, young, career when he grabbed the knee of superstar Ja Morant.
Morant is all but certain to miss Game 4 in Memphis’ attempt to avoid a 3-1 hole. These are dire circumstances but, remember, the Grizzlies were a freaking juggernaut without Morant in the lineup this season.
It would be easy to say, “If any team in the NBA is built to be missing their best player and win, it’s Memphis.” However, this has already happened for Dallas. And Miami. And Phoenix. In the playoffs. This is to double down and illustrate how this series is far from over.
The Warriors shot nearly 70% from 2-point range in Game 3. Golden State shot under 50% overall in both Games 1 and 2. It’s easy to see Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Memphis’ public enemy No. 1 Jordan Poole on the other side in a road game and fear the worst.
The Grizzlies have no fear.
Struggling Actor Sports 