Being the first NBA team this season to breach the 50-win mark and having a relatively comfortable lead at the very top of the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Milwaukee Bucks have a bit of luxury to take some risks in preparation for the postseason.
During Tuesday's convincing 130-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer opted to keep star player Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court despite picking up four fouls – two on the offensive end – with over ten minutes left in the third quarter.
With Milwaukee holding a nine-point lead and with plenty of time remaining in the contest prior to Antetokounmpo's fourth foul, it would stand to reason that Budenholzer would've been wise to sit his MVP for a few moments to collect himself and be available down the stretch should New Orleans draw closer towards an upset.
However, Budenholzer still kept Giannis in the game and his gamble paid off. The Bucks scored 45 points in the third; all the while keeping the Pelicans in check with 41 points of their own and ultimately preventing matters from getting way out of hand.
Speaking to the media after the game, Budenholzer had this to say about keeping the Greek Freak on the floor even with a rather healthy lead and not much at stake all things considered:
Easily my favorite quote from postgame belongs to Mike Budenholzer, who used the phrase, "Just kind of rolled the bones" when talking about keeping Giannis in despite four quick fouls: pic.twitter.com/zEPS7m6C06
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) March 13, 2019
Budenholzer's comments futher illustrates why he's a top candidate for coach of the year this season. His calculated risks will reap rewards come postseason, and learning how his key players like Antetokounmpo is able to cope with foul trouble is just one of the many underrated aspects of the game that the 49-year-old coach has taken into account.
With shrewd decisions like these, the Bucks certaily appear to be in great form heading into the playoffs. Time will only tell if these high-risk, high reward decisions will come to bite them back futher down the line, as possible injuries and fatigue must also be taken into consideration.
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