On one end, Kevin Durant called up Floater God Bruce Brown for picks — knowing Brook Lopez, guarding Brown, would drop back and concede pull-up 2s.
The Nets leaned on Durant, one of the greatest players ever, and the Bucks leaned on Middleton — a two-time All-Star who does not strike the same terror into defenses, and cannot rise into open skies the way Durant can.
I would expect more diverse offenses in Game 4.
Both teams have sprinkled in late switches; perhaps they will try more — or even the occasional hard trap.
Bad shooting luck aside — and it’s telling that about half of Milwaukee’s 3s in this series have come off the bounce, as compared to 30% in the regular season — that scoring number is embarrassing.
Only one player — Julius Randle — topped 19 in the regular season.
Only those plays that start around the foul line look anything close to comfortable, since Antetokounmpo can burrow into shots more in his wheelhouse — floaters, jump hooks, shorter jumpers.
Antetokounmpo’s baseline fadeaways and dribble-up 3s in Game 3 were unwatchable, and that he kept hoisting is an indictment of both the star and coach.
That’s not awful — isolations are by definition low efficiency for all but a few guys — but it’s also not good enough to beat an elite team four times.
But here’s the thing: Milwaukee has scored an abysmal, so-low-it-must-be-a-typo 0.836 points per possession when a pick-and-roll with Antetokounmpo as the screener leads directly to a shot, turnover, or foul.
Antetokounmpo has set 68 ball screens in three games — about 30 per 100 possessions, according to Second Spectrum.
This is why Milwaukee handed the keys to Middleton late in Game 3, even if Middleton had a strong defender on him while Kyrie Irving defended Holiday.
The Bucks got some mileage in Game 3 running one high pick-and-roll with Antetokounmpo, and then pivoting into these sideline versions.
They are easier to defend when the Nets know they are coming, and there is minimal player movement around them.
The timing of those plays can sometimes be off, with Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee’s ball handlers almost colliding — as if their signals are crossed.
The Bucks would run off misses, and Holiday and Middleton would do what they do in the half court.
When the Nets are rolling, both stars become zippy off-ball screeners — stressing defenses and forcing switches.
Brooklyn can probably do more with Harris scrambling off picks from Brown, given how far back Lopez is sagging.
The rare moments in which Holiday has played bully ball against Irving, James, and Landry Shamet have gone well.
That’s understandable; Durant is an entirely different assignment than Jimmy Butler, whom Antetokounmpo enveloped in the first round.