Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from heart-breaking Game 6 vs. Raptors

3. Offensive struggles kill the Bucks late

Up five heading into those final 12 minutes, the Bucks could muster only 18 points on 3-of-15 shooting from the field. They failed to hit any of their seven attempts from beyond the 3-point line while Antetokounmpo shot just 1-of-5. The only player to have success was Lopez, who managed three crucial buckets inside the restricted area.

The Bucks had little to no issues scoring the basketball in fourth quarters during the regular season, ranking No. 2 in points per game at 28.6. Their crunch-time offense found success as well with the eight most points per game at 9.8. Milwaukee’s struggles in Game 6, however, brought to light the difference between regular and postseason basketball.

Stretches like these highlight the need for isolation shot-creators. Toronto’s defense did everything right, cutting off Giannis from the rim while making multiple rotations to the open shooters. When those plays break down, the Bucks need someone to create something out of nothing with minimal time on the clock.

Khris Middleton is supposed to be that guy, but he struggled mightily in the conference finals. The Raptors’ length hampered his ability to get into any sort of rhythm, where he shot 41.1 percent from the field on his way to 13.6 points per game.

Milwaukee exceeded expectations this past season by surrounding Giannis with an ideal supporting cast of knock-down shooters. Those same snipers have a hard time creating off the dribble, a noticeable defect when option No. 1 of Antetokounmpo barrelling his way to the basket fails to pan out.