NBA Clutch Encounters — 2/28/2021

Two good teams that are bad in the clutch!

Clippers vs Bucks

Very interesting game between two contenders that I don’t think are that comfortable in close games.

We start with the Clippers leading 100–96. Giannis has a mismatch on Patrick Beverley in transition.

So the game here is simple. The Bucks can’t really run a screen-and-roll with Giannis as a screener — which is something they are leaning towards in close games. But they need to get it to Giannis somehow. Connaughton drives and draws help from George who sees the mismatch and knows he can’t give up penetration. This forces Pat to pass it to Middleton. But because of that help, Middleton has an easy pass to Giannis. He gets the dunk and the foul. Hits the FT, too. Longer breakdown on that possession than normal, but it was an interesting play. Some high-level basketball on a Sunday afternoon! 100–99

Clippers run a pick-and-roll with George and Leonard. This gets Giannis off Leonard. Kawhi in his element against Middleton and has the entire Bucks roster looking at him.

He posts up, goes for the shot and…

Giannis gets him from behind. Shot clock violation. This is the first game I’ve done on here with SUPER high-level defense.

Middleton and Giannis combine again. This time of the inbound. Giannis Moss’d Batum and got fouled. 101–100 Bucks lead.

Clippers manage to get a switch where DiVincenzo is guarding George. For a time that’s historically hated switching, they gave this up rather easily — Lou Williams was the screener. George immediately blows by him but misses a contested layup. But that is good offense.

Now the Bucks go to the Middleton/Giannis pick-and-roll. Giannis rolls to the rim.

The Bucks to this point have not used Giannis as the primary ball-handler down the stretch of this game. I don’t know if this tactic will work perfectly in high-stakes game. I DO know that this is an absolutely terrifying sight. Giannis drew help from Batum and Leonard so he dumped off to Connaughton who missed a layup.

Leonard also gets a switch on DiVincenzo. Again the Bucks switched very easily. Kawhi got fouled on the pass, though, so the Bucks are okay. This time Kawhi said to hell with the screen and just goes at Giannis.

And he CAUGHT him with the step-back. Just a nasty move. Giannis is longer than an oak tree so he did contest the shot. Leonard misses. Two straight possessions where the Clippers got a good shot and missed both times — from their best players.

Bucks run an isolation with Middleton going against Lou Williams. He tries a midrange shot and missed. Kind of a nothing possession.

Another chance for LA. George pulls up off a screen from Morris over Middleton. Well short. Not an awful look. But no passes on that possession. The Clippers have yet to run a great play down the stretch of this game.

Bucks run a dribble hand-off with Giannis and Jrue.

Beverley dives instead of playing defense. That leaves Holiday WIDE open for a layup.

But Marcus Morris helps and forces a pass. Bucks swing it around and it goes back to Giannis.

And he dunks it through the Earth’s core. All starts with one flop. 103–100.

I will say, Giannis took no dribbles and went from the 3-pt-line to the basket. Kind of a travel, but cool dunk, so who cares!

Last chance for LA. Inbound to George. They run an off-ball screen with Ibaka and Leonard. Kawhi gets Connaughton on him…… And Kawhi just goes for the deep 3?

So this is the full situation. This is what Kawhi sees. He can’t ask for a screen. That would make everything worse. He can’t really drive, because Giannis. Probably could have tried a move on Connaughton. Decides that this is as much separation as he’s going to get and pulls up from there. He misses the Bucks get the rebound and win 105–100.

This is the only game I’m going to breakdown for today, but tried to make it longer. The Bucks have some interesting things going for them down the stretch of these games. Using Giannis off-ball is working pretty well. Kind of a reverse Steph Curry. But I still have questions. Nothing like the questions I have for LA. They end the game scoreless in the last 3 minutes. And what’s more is that they really didn’t get a great shot. They gave it to their best players and they just missed every shot and couldn’t get any separation.

This was the first really great game I’ve seen between two awesome teams. And the Clippers don’t really know what they’re doing in an ideal world at the end. Sound familiar?