Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from Game 4 sweep vs. Pistons

2. Their bench can be the ultimate difference-maker

For much of the game, the Bucks’ starters were negatives when they were on the floor. They were being outscored when the starters were on the floor, but their bench was able to keep things tight against a far inferior Pistons’ second unit. Against a Celtics (and possibly Toronto Raptors) team that has a decent bench, the play of the Bucks’ second unit could make the difference.

Giannis dropped 41 points. George Hill only scored seven points, but guess who the leader in plus-minus was when it was all said and done? Hill, with a whopping +29. That’s not a direct measure of a player’s impact on a game, but it shows that the Bucks were significantly better than the Pistons when he was on the floor. The reason Milwaukee built its bench like this is so when the starters need a break, it can give them one without sacrificing a major lead.

The Celtics’ bench was one of their expected strong points coming into the year. It’s not quite the elite group that it was expected to be, but it’s not too bad either. It gets even better depending on when Marcus Smart comes back. The Bucks’ starters will be able to hang with Boston’s, and their bench showed tonight — and in this upcoming series — that they can hang too.