The Milwaukee Bucks entered Recreation 3 of their best-of-seven collection in opposition to the Chicago Bulls on Friday evening with out the companies of All-Star wing Khris Middleton and, actually, it made no distinction. Milwaukee dominated Chicago from begin to end with the Bucks in the end coming away with a 111-81 victory on the United Middle to take a 2-1 collection lead. 

Milwaukee had 5 gamers end the win having scored 10 factors or extra with Grayson Allen main the cost with 22 factors off of the bench. Giannis Antetokounmpo solely performed 29 minutes however managed to complete the sport with 18 factors to associate with 9 assists and 7 rebounds. On the opposite aspect, Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 19 factors however it took him 17 pictures to get to that time. 

Listed below are 4 key takeaways from the sport:

1. Bucks lock in defensively

The Bucks have had some points on the defensive finish this season, and so they popped up once more earlier this week in Recreation 2, as DeMar DeRozan obtained unfastened for 41 factors and the Bulls shot practically 50 p.c from the sphere. They’ve the expertise to be elite at that finish of the ground, although, and in Recreation 3 we noticed what occurs after they flip up the depth. 

A couple of minutes into the primary quarter. Jrue Vacation was matched up with DeRozan, who tried to make use of a display screen from Nikola Vucevic. Vacation wasn’t having that and snuck in between DeRozan and Vucevic to blow that possibility up. DeRozan then modified course and tried to return left, however Vacation was throughout that too and smothered him as he picked up his dribble. As DeRozan tried to search out room for a go, Vacation knocked the ball away and went coast to coast for a layup. 

Performs like that from Vacation set the tone for the evening, because the Bucks harassed the Bulls everywhere in the flooring, and did so with out fouling. Vacation and Wesley Matthews held DeRozan to 11 factors on 9 discipline objective makes an attempt, and the Bulls shot 39.3 p.c from the sphere as a group. There was simply nothing straightforward for the Bulls at any level, exemplified by the truth that they could not even get to the free throw line. The Bulls’ 10 free throw makes an attempt have been their second-fewest in any recreation this season. 

2. No Middleton, no drawback

Late in Recreation 2, Khris Middleton slipped on a moist spot on the Fiserv Discussion board flooring and sprained his MCL. He is now out for the rest of the collection, and sure a part of the second spherical if the Bucks can get that far. To ensure Middleton has an opportunity to play once more this season, they will want the supporting forged to step up similar to they did on Friday evening. 

Mike Budenholzer determined to go large and began Bobby Portis in Middleton’s place. That turned out to be a wise transfer, as Portis scored eight factors within the first 5 minutes to assist the Bucks open up an enormous lead that they’d by no means relinquish. Portis, who missed most of Recreation 2 himself after taking an elbow to the attention and is now enjoying with goggles, completed with 18 factors and 16 rebounds in an incredible outing. 

He wasn’t the one one who had an enormous evening. Grayson Allen, who’s public enemy No. 1 in Chicago as a consequence of his early-season flagrant foul on Alex Caruso, shut up the United Middle crowd with a stellar capturing show. He knocked down 5 3s en path to a playoff career-high 22 factors and 6 rebounds. 

The general bench stats are skewed since there was a lot rubbish time, so we’ll simply deal with Portis, Allen and Pat Connaughton. These three, who’re going to be relied upon probably the most in Middleton’s absence, mixed for 51 factors, 28 rebounds and 11 made 3-pointers. That is most likely the top-end of what the Bucks can count on from them on any given evening, but when they’ll get even 60-70 p.c of that manufacturing, it’s going to go a great distance in the direction of overlaying for Middleton. 

3. Bucks regain management with championship-level efficiency

The Bucks didn’t look very like the defending champs in Video games 1 and a pair of at house. Even should you grant that they missed some open pictures, the offense was a slog, they have been extraordinarily sloppy with the ball (36 mixed turnovers within the first two video games) and there have been some lapses on the defensive finish — particularly in Recreation 2. 

Most nonetheless count on them to win the collection, however with Middleton in road garments there have been immediately much more questions on how issues would play out. Not a lot anymore, because the Bucks strolled into the United Middle and snatched homecourt benefit again from the Bulls with a dominant, championship-level efficiency. 

In the event you’re a Bucks fan, this was precisely the form of exhibiting you have been hoping to see. They did not simply win Recreation 3, they handed the Bulls their worst house playoff loss in franchise historical past. 

4. A particular shoutout to Luca Vildoza 

In a transfer that probably went unnoticed by everybody exterior of Milwaukee, the Bucks signed 26-year-old Argentine guard Luca Vildoza shortly earlier than the top of the common season. On Friday evening, with the sport properly in hand by the center of the fourth quarter, he lastly obtained to make his NBA debut. 

He took full benefit, placing on a present en route to a few factors, three assists and two steals in eight minutes of labor. His NBA spotlight reel is already off to a terrific begin due to this acrobatic go to Jordan Nwora.

And this behind-the-back dish to Thanasis Antetokounmpo for the poster slam. 

Vildoza is unlikely to play any significant minutes for the remainder of the playoffs, however this was a cool cameo. He’ll be a participant to look at for subsequent season.