Agawan sa 3-2 lead

Game 5: Milwaukee vs Toronto

MILWAUKEE — Magbabalik ang Bucks sa kanilang tahanan para mabawi ang momentum sa Eastern Conference Finals.

Naniniwala si head coach Mike Budenholzer na malaki ang maitutulong ng kanilang bench anumang mangyari sa Game Five laban sa Toronto Raptors.

Maganda ang inilaro ng Bucks reserves sa Game One at Two kaya nagladlad ang kanilang apparel shop ng “Bench Mob” T-shirt para kina Malcolm Brogdon, Ersan Ilyasova, George Hill at iba pa.

Ngunit sinapawan sila ng bench ng Raptors sa pangunguna ni forward Norman Powell na umiskor ng 18 points sa kanilang panalo sa Game Four para itabla sa 2-2 ang serye.

“They need to play well,” wika ni Budenholzer sa kanyang mga reserves. “I think our whole team, whether it be the bench or the starters, needs to be better defensively. I think there’s things offensively where the bench can, you know, just like the rest of us, we have to execute a little bit better.”

“This series, the benches have been critical and very influential and credit to Toronto’s bench, particularly. They really stepped up and had a huge game, and we need that from our group,” dagdag pa nito.

Nagtala si Serge Ibaka ng 17 points at 13 rebounds habang nag-ambag si Toronto reserve Fred VanVleet ng 13 points at 6 assists para suportahan si star forward Kawhi Leonard.

“That’s really kind of our system, would be that we create opportunities and everyone’s involved and everybody’s touching the ball,” ani Raptors mentor Nick Nurse. “Eve-rybody’s moving and cutting. It’s kind of a free-flowing, open system.

Sa kabiguan ng Milwaukee sa Game Four ay tumapos si Brogdon, nagmula sa foot injury sa Eastern Conference semifinals, na may 4 points. Walang Bucks reserves ang naiskor ng double digits.

“It was disappointing, but I mean, the series is 2-2,” sabi ni Milwaukee forward Kris Middleton, tumipa ng game-high na 30 points. “It’s not the end of the world. They protect their home court just like we did, and I know the fight is going to be a dogfight. First team to two wins. Can’t feel sorry for ourselves that we lost two in a row here. We have to go protect home court and go from there.”