Shaquille O’Neal has tipped the Milwaukee Bucks to beat the Brooklyn Nets in their second-round playoffs series. Nets and Bucks were 2nd and 3rd in the East during the regular season. In the first round of the postseason, they picked things right where they left them, dominating their rivals.
The Bucks swept the Miami Heat while the Nets took the Boston Celtics out in five games. Now, they’re facing each other, trying to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and presumably challenge the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.
This Nets-Bucks series is a heavyweight matchup, so it’s hard to predict which squad will win. Shaquille O’Neal anticipates a hard-fought series but he sees the Bucks coming out with the win thanks to their defense (1:18).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCgvOWDYFFY
“Both teams play fast, both teams can score but one team doesn’t have lock down defense. One team can’t say two or three minutes we’re going to lock somebody down. That’s why leaning a bit toward Milwaukee.
“Listen, three guys in Brooklyn, they will do what they do, Giannis and co. will do what they do. But, I think when it comes time to lock down and your team being in that lock down mentality, Milwaukee has the edge on that.”
Brooklyn has three elite scorers in Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. However, what they do on the offensive end differs significantly from what they do on the other side of the court.
We saw improvements during the Celtics series, but now they’re facing another juggernaut. Stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be an easy job, but the Nets have shown their commitment to defend, scrap and hustle to recover the ball.
This is an early ECF series, so it’s time to sit and enjoy two of the best teams in the world going against each other in a memorable duel.
