Milwaukee Bucks v Miami Heat (Heat lead 3-1)
The Bucks showed a ton of heart and determination when they survived game four. However, with no Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lineup, the Bucks looked like they are on the verge of throwing in the towel. The Bucks came out with a huge first quarter, taking a 28-19 lead, but this would be the last time throughout the game. The Heat dominated the second quarter, and the Bucks were mentally checked out after that. The Heat rolled to a 103-94 victory that was never in doubt.
The Bucks have now lost in the semi-final round the last two seasons even though they had the best record in the league and the MVP (Antetokounmpo) on their squad. This leaves one huge question for the Bucks going forward: Will Antetokounmpo stay in Milwaukee or leave to team up with some other superstar on another team? I think something does have to change on the Bucks, and my first instinct says the coaches.
Yes, Mike Budenholzer has gotten the Bucks back into relevancy and won coach of the year, but these mishaps in the playoffs have to be put on him as much as the players. If the Bucks want this to work, they will need to be aggressive in the free agency market or trades to other teams. There have been reports the Bucks may be looking to bring in veteran PG Chris Paul, which would be fantastic for the Bucks, but they would still need to add another shooting guard.
If the Bucks make some intentional changes, Antetokounmpo should stay, but he should go to another team willing to do that extra something it takes to win if they don’t. Rumors are spreading like wildfire that five teams, the Clippers, Warriors, Raptors, Heat, and Mavericks, are looking to pursue Antetokounmpo in the off-season. With a doubt, one of the biggest off-seasons moves next to when LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami.
The Miami Heat are now 8-1 in the playoffs and have looked better than any other playoff team this season. Hopefully, this energy can be sustained if the Raptors/Celtics series goes longer than expected. When the season restarted, I thought the Heat had a great chance to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but now the next team up needs to know not to underestimate them. They have everything needed to take down either team as their confidence grows with each game.
Los Angeles Lakers v Houston Rockets (Series tied at 1-1)
After two games where one team dominated and the other tried to make a furious comeback, game three was a great game with both teams coming out ready to win. The first quarter set the tone for the whole game; the Rockets edged the Lakers ever so slightly with a score of 33-32.
The third quarter saw both teams increase their defensive intensity, and they tied 82-82 heading into the fourth quarter. The Lakers dug deep in the fourth quarter and pulled away early, and the Rockets could never recover. The Rockets lost 112-102 and fell 1-2 in the series.
The Rockets were led by their two superstars James Harden (33PTS 6REB 9AST) and Russell Westbrook (30PTS 8REB 6AST 2STL 1BLK), but the rest of the team sat this one out. Robert Covington got hurt but sounded like he will play in game four. The true downfall for the Rockets was their lack of energy in the fourth quarter. The Rockets just couldn’t match the Lakers’ energy. Next game, they need to be ready to do battle for the full 48 minutes.
The Lakers were led by their two superstars Anthony Davis (26PTS 15REB 6AST 1STL) and LeBron James (36PTS 7REB 5AST 1STL 4BLK), with an X-factor of Rajon Rondo. Playoff Rajon Rondo is good enough to be a leader of many teams, but on this team, he just has to be the third option and concentrate on getting the role players involved. Rondo can run the offense and allow LeBron James to come off the court and stay fresh. Rondo(21PTS 2REB 9AST 1STL) also helps on the defensive end as the best on-ball defender the Lakers have. A skill that has helped to slow down Harden and Westbrook and shut down anybody off the bench.
Rajon Rondo may be the nail in the Rockets’ coffin.