The Orlando Magic drew the biggest uproar of the NBA postseason to date as they defeated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks 122-110 in Game 1 on Tuesday afternoon. Nikola Vucevic led the way for Orlando with 35 points and 13 rebounds, but he also had a lot of help. Terrence Ross scored 18 points from the bench, while Markelle Fultz and Gary Clark both added 15 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 31 points and 17 rebounds, but ultimately his production was not enough to send his team to a win. Milwaukee will need to recalibrate and look to play back in Game 2 on Thursday.
Thanks in large part to playing Antetokounmpo, the Bucks secured the top spot in the East for a second straight season, and this year they will look to go further than they did last year when they were knocked out in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Toronto Raptors. For the Bucks, anything short of a NBA Finals berth this season would be considered a disappointment.
Orlando, on the other hand, will seek to pull a big turnout over the Bucks and in turn prevent a second elimination from the first round. The series will be especially difficult for the Magic, as they will be without the services of a few of their younger players in Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba. In the end, the Magic will have to play almost perfect basketball if they hope for the best of the Bucks, and that is certainly a daunting task.
Here are three key takeaways from Orlando’s straight win over Milwaukee.
1. Where was Milwaukee’s defense?
The Bucks had the best defense of the season, but they were certainly not out on Tuesday. Milwaukee gave up 122 total points against a typical middle offense in Orlando, and they were allowed to shoot the Magic 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from outside the arc. Besides, things just seemed too offensive for Orlando for long stretches of the game. They were able to penetrate to the edge with little resistance, and they had open chances of long range. The fact that Orlando could have had so much offensive success without two bilingual collaborators in Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac is even more of an accusation about Milwaukee. The Bucks will need things to move forward.
2. Vucevic was the best player on the floor
Antetokounmpo was very solid for Milwaukee, but Vucevic was the best player on the floor on Tuesday. Vucevic did it all for Orlando, as he provided the Magic with a post presence and a floor-spacer. His 35 points were a game-high, as were his five made 3-pointers. He also grabbed 14 rebounds, three of which came on the offensive end. In the process, Vucevic became just the third player in Magic history to record at least 33 points and 12 rebounds in a playoff game. The other two players are Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard; not bad company for Vucevic.
Overall, it was a dominant performance by Vucevic, and the Magic will need some more performances from that of their big man if they want to draw a big turnout in this series.
3. Fultz’s Solid Magic postseason debut
Markelle Fultz played in – and started – his first playoff game as a member of the Magic on Tuesday, and overall it went well. Fultz finished the game with 15 points, six assists, and two rebounds in 29 minutes of action, and he looks increasingly comfortable in the Orlando system. This continued progress of Fultz is a solid sign for Orlando, as the young guard figures are a major factor in the team’s success, this season and beyond.
