The Bucks roll the Pistons again in Game 2 blowout

By Ian Levy | Apr 17, 2019

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 17: George Hill #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks walks through the tunnel at halftime during Game Two of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons on April 17, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Detroit Pistons kept it closer but were once again overwhelmed by the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2.

The Pistons gave it their best effort but the Bucks inched one game closer to a sweep. Detroit’s offense found a rhythm in the first half, winning the second quarter by 12 and taking a one-point lead into halftime. They managed just 40 points in the second half as Eric Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo turned a close game into a blowout.

89. Final. 99. 64. 120

Takeaways

Can we get some more of Luke Kennard, please? Kennard was one of the few bright spots for the Pistons in Game 2, scoring 19 points on 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 on 3-pointers. Everyone knows Kennard can shoot but he has some off-the-dribble craft and could have some value as a secondary creator. He’s just 22-years-old and averaged 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per 36 minutes in the regular season, including shooting 39.3 percent on 3-pointers. And yet, for a team desperate for shooting and offensive creation, he averaged just 22.8 minutes per game and hit the 36-minute threshold just twice. Bruce Brown and Langston Galloway both played more minutes this season. If you’re about to point at his defense, the Pistons allowed fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. Hopefully, this series is proof that Kennard is a bright young player who enjoys a lot more opportunities to show what he can do.

Milwaukee is so darn deep. This wasn’t one of those games with double-digit players putting up double-digit point totals but it was still a reminder of just how much depth the Bucks have. They barely needed Nikola Mirotic and didn’t have to break the seal on D.J. Wilson in on-garbage time minutes. And beyond that, it’s the ability of so many players to do so many things that make them so dangerous. At any moment they have five shooters on the floor, but they also often have four or five players capable of creating offense off the dribble. The tenents of their offense are so simple but there is so much overlap and interchangeability that it’s impossible to guard.

Next. A historic loss could be the final wake up call the Warriors need. dark

What are you going to do with Giannis? He legitimately might be the most unguardable player in the NBA right now. Stephen Curry and James Harden are incredibly problematic because they can shoot over the top of you. Giannis just goes around, through or over you. He can get to any spot he wants and he can pretty much do whatever he wants when he gets there. The Bucks might get beaten at some point in these playoffs but it certainly won’t be because someone has solved Giannis.

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