The Houston Rockets hand the Oklahoma City Thunder a beating while the Milwaukee Bucks advance to the NBA Playoffs Semis.
Finally, the NBA is back after three days of hiatus following the Milwaukee Bucks’ peaceful protest. There was a slight scare that the NBA wouldn’t return because of the high emotions in the bubble. Several players were upset with the situation outside the bubble. While others were reportedly tired of living inside the bubble for already two months.
The games resumed today with the Milwaukee Bucks eliminating the Orlando Magic. On the other side, the Houston Rockets got back Russell Westbrook.
Milwaukee Bucks bump off the Orlando Magic
The Bucks finally hit the court after unilaterally calling quits on their game last Thursday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo got into early foul trouble which allowed the Magic to catch up late in the game. It looked like the Bucks were in control. However, the Magic went on short spurts to cut the deficit to 96-93 with enough time late in the game.
Overall, the Bucks were expected to win this series, but it seemed like that they still have to find their groove in the bubble. The Miami Heat are next in line and they will test the mettle of the top team in the East. They have enough pieces to challenge the deep roster of the Bucks with Jimmy Butler leading the pack.
The Bucks beat the Magic 118-104. Giannis ended with a monstrous 28 points and 17 rebounds in just 28 minutes of playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4B1MhlYzvg
Rockets gave the Thunder a beating
This series is slightly challenging to predict. The Thunder just won’t let the Rockets go off with an easy win. They proved this when they tied the series 2-2 with stellar performances from the Thunder’s backcourt. However, the Rockets are proving to be too much to handle.
They finally got Russell Westbrook back after losing him to a quad injury. He didn’t make a huge impact in Game 5, but James Harden made sure to cover his deficits. The Thunder just had no answer for the hot shooting of the Rockets. They were beaten badly with a 114-80 ending.
James Harden finished the game with 31 points on a fiery hot 73.3% overall shooting and 50% from the 3-point line. The Rockets also out-assisted the entire Thunder team 28-11 while forcing 18 turnovers in the game. Russell Westbrook only posted 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a rusty 23.1% overall shooting from the field.
The Thunder will look to even up the series on Tuesday with the hopes of avoiding elimination.
Image from 2020 NBA Playoffs/ YouTube thumbnail