Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from Game 4 vs. Celtics

1. Playoff Thon is a phenomenon

Thon Maker has been nothing short of phenomenal since he has hit the court in these playoffs for meaningful minutes. He was the energy behind the Bucks turning the series around in Game 3 and in Game 4 he just continued that on.

Maker played 32 minutes of this game, and only Antetkounmpo and Middleton had more game time. In that time, his stat line read eight points, five blocks, two rebounds and one assist. He went 2-of-5 from distance as well. The most telling number was the Bucks were +4 when Maker was on the court. None of the starters had a positive plus/minus for the game.

Maker refused to let any shot come into the paint unchallenged, especially in the second half. The Celtics outscored the Bucks in the second half by 14 points. It would have been more if not for the second-year player blocking four shots in that half.

The playoffs appear to focus Maker. While he cannot match up against Aron Baynes physically, he is not the liability he was at the start of the year against bigger, physical centers.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Now that the Bucks have squared the series, it is now up to them to take it back up to the Celtics in Boston. With the bench performing at this level, it is certainly possible that the Milwaukee Bucks could steal Game 5, giving them the chance to close the series out back home.