5 reasons why Brooklyn Nets lost against Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals | 2021 NBA Playoffs
The Brooklyn Nets came close to securing their 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals berth but fell short in Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets lost 111-115 even after forcing overtime, marking one of the most disappointing losses in their playoff run thus far.
With the win, the Milwaukee Bucks brought an end to the Brooklyn Nets' unbeaten run at home in the 2021 NBA playoffs. It was also a record-breaking night, as the Bucks registered their first Game 7 victory on the road in their history.
Bruce Brown's return to the starting lineup paid rich dividends early in the game, as he set hard screens for Kevin Durant. Brown also registered ten points and three assists in the first half. However, things slowed down for the Brooklyn Nets as they looked only to Kevin Durant for production.
Khris Middleton has struggled on the road in this series and did so again, going a dismal 2 of 11 in the first half. He turned things around in the second, though. Middleton redeemed himself by making the shot that gave the Milwaukee Bucks the separation late in overtime.
Both teams registered 20 lead changes. But the Brooklyn Nets super team failed to close out the game despite holding the lead with one minute left on the clock.
On that note, let's take a look at five reasons why the Brooklyn Nets lost against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
#1 The Brooklyn Nets were dominated by the Milwaukee Bucks on the offensive glass
It is unclear why Steve Nash left DeAndre Jordan on the bench throughout the series and decided to play small. The Brooklyn Nets were punished for that by the Milwaukee Bucks and were dominated in the paint.
Although Bruce Brown showed impressive hustle play and rebounding despite being 6' 4" tall, he was no match for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. The total rebound tally was close, 48-46 in favor of the Milwaukee Bucks. But that was because Lopez spent a fair amount of time on the perimeter, and Antetokounmpo was attempting 3s.
Nevertheless, the Milwaukee Bucks did a great job getting second-chance buckets as they finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds compared to the Brooklyn Nets' 11.
#2 Joe Harris' shooting struggle continues for the Brooklyn Nets
Joe Harris was the perfect catch-and-shoot player for the Brooklyn Nets, as he created an option outside of the big three. The idea was to give him the ball, as there was a likelihood that he would open when one of Durant, Harden or Kyrie Irving was double-teamed.
The strategy worked great in the regular season and in the first-round series against the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, Harris lost his touch heading into the series against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Harris looked like he was returning to his groove early in the game as he knocked down a shot to open his scoring. However, he failed to keep up with that start as he finished the game with ten points, going 3 of 9 from beyond the arc.