Brook Lopez standing tall as Bucks' last line of defense against Nets
Brook Lopez #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks defends Kevin Durant #7 of the Nets in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on Monday, June 7, 2021. Credit: Steven Ryan
MILWAUKEE — Kevin Durant said he was proud the Nets didn’t allow their poor offensive performance to keep them from playing strong defense in an 86-83 Game 3 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum. He credited the Bucks for cranking up their defensive effort as the difference-maker in a loss that left the Nets holding a 2-1 series lead.
"They played more physical, they were there at the rim, and they just played their regular way they’ve been playing the whole season," Durant said. "I think we got great looks, but they also did a good job of contesting and being physical and blocking shots at the rim."
That was especially true for former Nets center Brook Lopez, who totaled six blocked shots, including fourth-quarter blocks against Durant and Bruce Brown in the final seconds.
"It’s one of the things Brook has done consistently for us," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said of the rim protection. "I think he makes great reads, great decisions, uses his length. He’s great in there. Everybody’s trying to get there, and Brook was able to make some big blocks and big stops down the stretch that were really important. That’s what we need from him going forward."
Strong defensive play by Lopez down the stretch kept the Bucks in it. They trailed by three with 1:23 to play but got a jumper from Khris Middleton before a go-ahead layup by Jrue Holiday with 11.4 seconds to go. The Nets were anticipating a Bucks timeout, but Holiday saw his opening and took it.
"I felt like maybe they thought I was going to call a timeout," Holiday said. "But I saw me and Bruce Brown one-on-one and ended up in the layup. I think that was one of the only one-on-one plays I had all day, so I just went for it, saw the rim and made the layup."
Just like that, the Bucks were back in the series.
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
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