Bucks beat Pistons 119-103 to take 3-0 series lead
DETROIT (AP) The Milwaukee Bucks know they are often considered a one-man team.
Saturday night, they took some major steps toward changing that perception.
On a night where Giannis Antetokounmpo was limited by foul trouble, the Bucks had seven players score in double figures and beat the Detroit Pistons 119-103 to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
''That's something we've been working on all year,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''We play together and take what the opponent gives us. It isn't all about Giannis, as great and amazing as he is. We have a lot of guys who can make plays and Giannis knows when to step back and let them carry the load.''
The Bucks can finish off the Eastern Conference series Monday night in Detroit after winning the first three games by an average of 24 points.
The Bucks overcame 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists from Blake Griffin in his return from a right knee injury. He missed the first two games of the series after sitting out four of the final six in the regular season.
''That young man is giving us everything his body will give, and we need every bit of it,'' Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. ''He has a presence that no one else on our team can provide.''
Griffin had an immediate defensive impact, forcing two turnovers on Milwaukee's first three possessions, but struggled to keep up in transition.
''I don't know what percentage I'm at. I don't really worry about things like that,'' he said. ''If I can play, I'm going to play
Antetokounmpo had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 20, Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez each had 19, and Lopez added seven rebounds and five blocks. Ersan Ilysaova (15), Nikola Mirotic (12) and George Hill (11) all reached double figures as part of the second unit.
''They came out strong in the first quarter and then Ersan came in and hit three straight threes to give us a lead,'' Middleton said. ''That let us relax and play our own game.''
Andre Drummond had 12 points and 12 rebounds, struggling with his own foul trouble. He missed eight of his first nine field-goal attempts.
''I think Andre missed some bunnies and it bothered him,'' Casey said. ''He took that to the other end of the floor and missed some assignments on defense. He's still learning how everything is magnified in the pressure of the playoffs.''
Drummond picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, but Antetokounmpo left a minute later with his fourth.
Middleton, playing against the team that drafted him in 2012, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Milwaukee an 85-66 lead with 4:47 left in the third quarter. Drummond returned late in the quarter, but picked up his fifth foul after just 41 seconds.
''I thought they guys were amazing, especially after I got my fourth foul,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''Khris did a great job of guiding the team and making the right plays. It's good to see us winning a playoff game on the road when I'm not having my best game.''
The margin was 100-78 at quarter's end and the Pistons never put together a serious run in the fourth.
''I think we definitely need some rest after Game 4, but we're trying not to think about that,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''We're going to come in, be hungry and try to win that game. It's going to be a nice feeling - I've never won a playoff series.''
TIP INS
Bucks: The Bucks hadn't won the first three games of a playoff series since a three-game sweep of the New Jersey Nets in the 1986 first round. ... Milwaukee was a plus-23 in the 10:48 that George Hill played in the first half.
Pistons: The game was the first postseason game in Little Caesars Arena history. The Pistons and Red Wings both missed the playoffs in 2017-18 and the Red Wings missed again this season. The most recent NBA playoff game in the city of Detroit was April 27, 1985, when the Pistons lost 127-123 to the New York Knicks at Joe Louis Arena after damage to the Pontiac Silverdome's roof.
MATCHING AN UNPLEASANT MARK
The loss was Detroit's 13th straight in the playoffs, tying the NBA record set by the New York Knicks between 2001-12. The Pistons lost the last two games of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals to the Boston Celtics, were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round in 2009 and again in 2016 and have now lost three in a row to Milwaukee. Their last postseason win came over Boston on May 26, 2008.
UP NEXT
Game 4 is Monday night at Detroit.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
12:00 | Jumpball | |||
11:35 | +2 | Luke Kennard made jump shot, assist by Reggie Jackson | 0-2 | |
11:05 | Out of bounds turnover on Andre Drummond | |||
10:51 | Eric Bledsoe missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
10:43 | +3 | Reggie Jackson made 3-pt. jump shot | 0-5 | |
10:26 | Out of bounds turnover on Eric Bledsoe | |||
10:13 | +2 | Eric Bledsoe made layup, assist by Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2-5 | |
10:05 | +2 | Luke Kennard made driving layup, assist by Reggie Jackson | 2-7 | |
9:55 | Khris Middleton missed floating jump shot | |||
9:46 | Andre Drummond missed hook shot, blocked by Brook Lopez | |||
9:44 | Offensive rebound by Reggie Jackson | |||
9:40 | Reggie Jackson missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
9:37 | Defensive rebound by Brook Lopez | |||
9:31 | +3 | Brook Lopez made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Eric Bledsoe | 5-7 | |
9:11 | Andre Drummond missed layup, blocked by Brook Lopez | |||
9:06 | Offensive rebound by Andre Drummond | |||
9:05 | Offensive rebound by Andre Drummond | |||
9:05 | Out of bounds turnover on Reggie Jackson | |||
8:48 | Personal foul on Blake Griffin | |||
8:45 | +2 | Eric Bledsoe made driving layup | 7-7 | |
8:45 | Shooting foul on Andre Drummond | |||
8:31 | Blake Griffin missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
8:29 | Offensive rebound by Andre Drummond | |||
8:27 | Andre Drummond missed layup | |||
8:19 | Khris Middleton missed jump shot | |||
8:17 | Personal foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo | |||
8:00 | Defensive rebound by Sterling Brown | |||
7:54 | +2 | Eric Bledsoe made driving layup, assist by Sterling Brown | 10-7 | |
7:41 | Andre Drummond missed layup, blocked by Brook Lopez | |||
7:41 | DET team rebound | |||
7:36 | +3 | Reggie Jackson made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Andre Drummond | 10-10 | |
7:22 | Defensive rebound by Reggie Jackson | |||
7:16 | +3 | Wayne Ellington made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Blake Griffin | 10-13 | |
7:16 | Full timeout called | |||
6:30 | Blake Griffin missed hook shot | |||
6:28 | Offensive rebound by Blake Griffin | |||
6:24 | +2 | Blake Griffin made dunk | 13-15 | |
6:18 | Backcourt turnover on Eric Bledsoe | |||
6:03 | Andre Drummond missed hook shot | |||
6:01 | Defensive rebound by Giannis Antetokounmpo | |||
5:57 | George Hill missed 3-pt. jump shot, blocked by Andre Drummond | |||
5:39 | +3 | Wayne Ellington made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Blake Griffin | 13-18 | |
5:23 | +3 | Ersan Ilyasova made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Khris Middleton | 16-18 | |
5:08 | +2 | Blake Griffin made driving layup | 16-20 | |
4:57 | +3 | Ersan Ilyasova made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Khris Middleton | 19-20 | |
4:39 | +2 | Andre Drummond made dunk, assist by Blake Griffin | 19-22 | |
4:30 | Out of bounds turnover on Ersan Ilyasova | |||
4:16 | Ish Smith missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
4:14 | Defensive rebound by Khris Middleton | |||
4:08 | +3 | Khris Middleton made 3-pt. jump shot | 22-22 | |
3:47 | Luke Kennard missed jump shot | |||
3:44 | Defensive rebound by Brook Lopez | |||
3:34 | Ersan Ilyasova missed hook shot | |||
3:31 | Offensive rebound by George Hill | |||
3:16 | 3-second violation turnover on Andre Drummond | |||
2:52 | +2 | Pat Connaughton made jump shot, assist by George Hill | 26-22 | |
2:34 | Bruce Brown missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
2:28 | Brook Lopez missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
2:24 | Defensive rebound by Bruce Brown | |||
2:18 | Shooting foul on George Hill | |||
2:18 | Unsportsmanlike technical foul | |||
2:18 | +1 | Bruce Brown made 1st of 2 free throws | 26-23 | |
2:18 | +1 | Bruce Brown made 2nd of 2 free throws | 26-24 | |
2:02 | +2 | Brook Lopez made driving dunk, assist by George Hill | 28-24 | |
1:42 | Bruce Brown missed driving layup, blocked by Sterling Brown | |||
1:36 | Eric Bledsoe missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
1:30 | Defensive rebound by Blake Griffin | |||
1:11 | Eric Bledsoe missed reverse layup | |||
1:07 | Offensive rebound by George Hill | |||
1:07 | +2 | George Hill made dunk | 30-24 | |
0:56 | DET team rebound | |||
0:56 | Personal foul on Sterling Brown | |||
0:56 | Violation | |||
0:42 | Personal foul on Thon Maker | |||
0:27 | +2 | Brook Lopez made floating jump shot, assist by George Hill | 32-24 | |
0:03 | Ish Smith missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
0:03 | MIL team rebound | |||
0:00 | Giannis Antetokounmpo missed fade-away jump shot | |||
0:00 | MIL team rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
11:44 | Defensive rebound by Reggie Jackson | |||
11:34 | Blake Griffin missed layup | |||
11:34 | MIL team rebound | |||
11:34 | Personal foul on Blake Griffin | |||
11:20 | +3 | Nikola Mirotic made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Eric Bledsoe | 35-24 | |
11:03 | +2 | Blake Griffin made layup | 35-26 | |
11:03 | Shooting foul on D.J. Wilson | |||
11:03 | +1 | Blake Griffin made free throw | 35-27 | |
10:50 | D.J. Wilson missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
10:48 | Defensive rebound by Reggie Jackson | |||
10:40 | Bad pass turnover on Reggie Jackson, stolen by Sterling Brown | |||
10:33 | Nikola Mirotic missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
10:31 | Defensive rebound by Blake Griffin | |||
10:20 | +3 | Langston Galloway made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Reggie Jackson | 35-30 | |
10:04 | +2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo made jump shot | 37-30 | |
9:57 | +2 | Blake Griffin made layup, assist by Reggie Jackson | 37-32 | |
9:57 | Shooting foul on D.J. Wilson | |||
9:57 | +1 | Blake Griffin made free throw | 37-33 | |
9:27 | +3 | Blake Griffin made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Reggie Jackson | 39-36 | |
9:11 | Offensive rebound by D.J. Wilson | |||
9:10 | Personal foul on Reggie Jackson | |||
9:04 | Lost ball turnover on Giannis Antetokounmpo, stolen by Blake Griffin | |||
9:04 | Personal foul on Ersan Ilyasova | |||
8:58 | +2 | Reggie Jackson made jump shot, assist by Bruce Brown | 39-38 | |
8:48 | Personal foul on Reggie Jackson | |||
8:40 | Giannis Antetokounmpo missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
8:33 | +2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo made reverse layup | 41-38 | |
8:18 | +2 | Wayne Ellington made jump shot, assist by Andre Drummond | 41-40 | |
8:07 | Eric Bledsoe missed driving layup, blocked by Langston Galloway | |||
8:03 | Offensive rebound by Eric Bledsoe | |||
7:44 | Defensive rebound by Pat Connaughton | |||
7:40 | Pat Connaughton missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
7:37 | Defensive rebound by Andre Drummond | |||
7:18 | Andre Drummond missed floating jump shot | |||
7:16 | Defensive rebound by Giannis Antetokounmpo | |||
7:02 | +2 | Ersan Ilyasova made layup, assist by Brook Lopez | 43-40 | |
6:40 | Out of bounds turnover on Andre Drummond | |||
6:27 | +3 | Brook Lopez made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Khris Middleton | 46-40 | |
6:06 | Defensive rebound by George Hill | |||
6:02 | Personal foul on Ish Smith | |||
5:36 | Ish Smith missed driving layup | |||
5:36 | Offensive rebound by Andre Drummond | |||
5:36 | Shooting foul on George Hill | |||
5:36 | Andre Drummond missed 1st of 2 free throws | |||
5:36 | DET team rebound | |||
5:36 | Andre Drummond missed 2nd of 2 free throws | |||
5:32 | Defensive rebound by Brook Lopez | |||
5:22 | Lost ball turnover on Khris Middleton, stolen by Andre Drummond | |||
5:02 | Defensive rebound by Pat Connaughton | |||
4:52 | Personal foul on Andre Drummond | |||
4:52 | +1 | George Hill made 1st of 2 free throws | 50-40 | |
4:52 | +1 | George Hill made 2nd of 2 free throws | 51-40 | |
4:29 | +2 | Andre Drummond made dunk, assist by Blake Griffin | 51-42 | |
4:14 | George Hill missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
4:10 | Defensive rebound by Wayne Ellington | |||
4:01 | Defensive rebound by Brook Lopez | |||
3:57 | +3 | Brook Lopez made 3-pt. jump shot, assist by Khris Middleton | 54-42 | |
3:34 | +2 | Luke Kennard made floating jump shot, assist by Blake Griffin | 54-44 | |
3:34 | Shooting foul on Ersan Ilyasova | |||
3:34 | +1 | Luke Kennard made free throw | 54-45 | |
3:18 | +2 | Khris Middleton made jump shot | 56-45 | |
3:18 | Shooting foul on Andre Drummond | |||
3:18 | +1 | Khris Middleton made free throw | 57-45 | |
3:03 | Lost ball turnover on Blake Griffin, stolen by Khris Middleton | |||
2:57 | +2 | Eric Bledsoe made driving layup | 59-45 | |
2:33 | Reggie Jackson missed jump shot | |||
2:31 | Defensive rebound by Khris Middleton | |||
2:26 | MIL team rebound | |||
2:26 | Personal foul on Reggie Jackson | |||
2:26 | +1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo made 1st of 2 free throws | 60-45 | |
2:26 | Giannis Antetokounmpo missed 2nd of 2 free throws | |||
1:36 | Shooting foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo | |||
1:36 | +1 | Blake Griffin made 2nd of 2 free throws | 62-50 | |
1:15 | Giannis Antetokounmpo missed hook shot, blocked by Thon Maker | |||
1:13 | Offensive rebound by Giannis Antetokounmpo | |||
1:10 | Brook Lopez missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
1:08 | Offensive rebound by Eric Bledsoe | |||
1:05 | Personal foul on Thon Maker | |||
1:05 | Giannis Antetokounmpo missed 2nd of 2 free throws | |||
1:03 | Defensive rebound by Luke Kennard | |||
0:45 | Personal foul on Khris Middleton | |||
0:45 | +1 | Thon Maker made 1st of 2 free throws | 63-51 | |
0:29 | +2 | Khris Middleton made turnaround jump shot, assist by Eric Bledsoe | 65-52 | |
0:19 | +2 | Thon Maker made dunk, assist by Ish Smith | 65-54 | |
0:04 | +1 | Eric Bledsoe made 1st of 2 free throws | 66-54 | |
0:04 | +1 | Eric Bledsoe made 2nd of 2 free throws | 67-54 | |
0:00 | Blake Griffin missed 3-pt. jump shot | |||
0:00 | End of period |