The Milwaukee Bucks put on yet another stellar performance in the third quarter of Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, pulling out a 123-116 victory behind 32 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo as well as 42 bench points.
The Celtics had completely dominated the Bucks in every facet of the game during the series opener, holding Milwaukee to just 26 points in the paint and 33 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Boston seemed content with forcing Giannis into double-teams and help defense in the lane, and forced his supporting cast to make outside shots. Without starting guard Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee seemed hard-pressed to find a combo guard capable of knocking down jumpers and getting into the lane.
In each of Milwaukee's last two wins, however, the Bucks have controlled the paint and shot over 40 percent from the three-point line.
Coach Mike Budenholzer's team overwhelmed the Celtics on the interior in Game 3, scoring 52 points in the paint and racking up 36 free-throw attempts.
Now, there is some hesitancy to rush Brogdon back into the series. The former University of Virginia star is still recovering from plantar fascia, and Budenholzer was unclear as to whether or not he would play in Game 4:
The #Bucks Mike Budenholzer said no decision has been made on whether Malcolm Brogdon (plantar fascia) will play in Game 4.
— A. Sherrod Blakely (@ASherrodblakely) May 4, 2019
While Antetokounmpo has stepped up his level of play, the Bucks have also gotten massive contributions from the likes of George Hill in Brogdon's absence. Hill–whom Milwaukee acquired from the Cavaliers in December–scored 21 points off the bench in his best game of the season.
With the Bucks starting to find their rhythm and the Celtics struggling to make adjustments to Giannis, it is likely that Milwaukee will continue to be cautious as they track Brogdon's status.
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