The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t have sufficient to complete off the Boston Celtics in Recreation 6 at residence on Friday. Identical to within the Bucks’ win on Wednesday evening in Boston, they had been down double digits going into the fourth quarter after a third-quarter Celtics run. The Celtics would lengthen the lead early within the fourth, however this time the Bucks couldn’t stem the tide.

When the Bucks minimize the result in 4 early within the quarter, Jayson Tatum — who was spectacular, pouring in 46 factors in an elimination recreation on the highway — pushed the lead again to seven with a 3-pointer and the Celtics went on one other run. Down double digits, the Bucks gave one remaining push to attempt to remove the Celtics, however consecutive threes by Tatum and Jaylen Brown would show to be an excessive amount of for the house workforce to beat. The Bucks couldn’t get the deficit again below double digits for the ultimate 5 minutes of play.

On Wednesday, the Bucks restricted offense — with out All-Star Khris Middleton — stole the luck from Fortunate and went on a tear to get well from a 14-point deficit early within the fourth quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear that he’s the very best participant within the NBA in that recreation by scoring 40 factors and making a late 3-pointer to cut back the deficit to at least one possession with lower than two minutes remaining within the recreation. Shortly after, Bobby Portis would make what could be the game-winning basket after grabbing an offensive rebound off an Antetokounmpo miss on the free-throw line to lastly give the Bucks the lead. Nonetheless, with out Pat Connaughton, these memorable performs by no means occur.

As a reserve, Connaughton didn’t play half-hour in a single recreation in opposition to the Chicago Bulls within the first spherical. However with out Middleton, and in opposition to the very best protection within the NBA, his offense has been vital for the Bucks to not solely survive on this sequence, however win two video games on the highway. He has performed 30-plus minutes each recreation since Recreation 3, and is averaging the fourth-most minutes on the Bucks on this sequence behind solely Antetokounmpo, Jrue Vacation, and Wesley Matthews.

Connaughton is barely averaging 11.7 factors per recreation, however he’s a risk that requires consideration from the Celtics’ protection. He’s a robust finisher on the rim, and can be a 3-point shooter that the Bucks badly want for ground spacing. He’s capturing 58.7 % from the sector and 50 % from three on this sequence. In Recreation 5, of the three 3-pointers that he hit, two got here within the fourth quarter. One was to cease the Celtics’ run that put the Bucks down 14 factors, and the opposite obtained the deficit below double digits the place it might keep for the remainder of the sport.

Additionally, that complete “position gamers shoot higher on the highway than they do at residence” concept doesn’t fairly work for Connaughton on this sequence, as a result of he’s at residence in TD Backyard. Connaughton is from Arlington, Mass. — six miles north of Boston. He performed in a state event recreation on that ground. What could be thought-about hostility to some from the Celtics’ residence crowd is a love language for Connaughton.

In addition to he has performed on this sequence, the Bucks should discover a strategy to get him much more concerned within the offense. He has solely scored not more than 13 factors on this sequence, and made not more than three 3-pointers in a recreation. If Mike Budenholzer decides to convey him off of the bench once more, he must get him concerned within the offense early and sometimes.

Set Connaughton up for some simple cuts and layups. Vacation and Antetokounmpo must search for him in transition and get him a dunk or two to get him feeling comfy like he’s watching a New England Patriots recreation on a Sunday with the outdated crew.

Then set him up for threes, over, and over, and over once more. If he ends this recreation with 12 makes an attempt, it’s advantageous. If he makes an attempt 15 threes, that’s advantageous as properly. The Bucks should make life as simple as potential for Antetokounmpo within the paint all through the sport, to ensure that he has the vitality to complete off the Celtics another time with out the opposite member of the Bucks’ All-Star duo.

Connaughton has been arguably an important position participant for the Bucks on this sequence. For them to advance to the Japanese Convention Finals, he’s gonna should channel that St. John’s Preparatory Faculty vitality to tackle a a lot greater one.