The Bucks Game Clinching Play | NBA Playbook

The Bucks Game Clinching Play

When the Bucks entered the fourth quarter against the Pacers, it looked like it was going to be an easy 12 minutes.  The Bucks were leading by 14 at the start of the fourth, and have only allowed 62 points to the Pacers.  However, the Pacers decided to make things interesting in the fourth quarter.  In fact, with 2:19 left a Solomon Jones dunk made the score 90-94, cutting the lead to 4 points.  The Bucks were reeling and they needed a bucket to try and put the game away.  This is the quick hitting play that they ran:

The Pacers tried to speed the pace up with a full court press.  It almost works, as the Bucks’ inbounder throws a pass to Carlos Delfino who is standing at halfcourt.  Delfino could have sped the ball up but knowing the situation (and how important this possession is), Delfino stops at halfcourt and waits for Jennings who meets the basketball.

As Brandon Jennings dribbles it out to the left wing, John Salmons goes from the left block to the right elbow to set a screen for Andrew Bogut.  This is something just about every NBA teams run to get their big man the basketball (the Nets run this a ton).  Usually teams run their big man through the center of the paint to get a seal on the low block, but every once in a while, the big man will cut off the other side of the screen to try and get a quick basket.

Solomon Jones notices that Bogut is cutting backdoor, and I think he tries to get over the screen to beat him to the block.  However, Salmons sets a fantastic screen, stopping Jones’ progress.

Now, Jones probably shouldn’t have tried to go over the top of the screen, but he isn’t the biggest Pacer at fault here.  Brandon Rush should be seeing this screen (and seeing the Jones is stuck on the screen), should be sinking into help position.  Rush is in position to get to the block before Bogut to cut off the play and defend the pass.  Instead, his eyes are fixated on his man, John Salmons, watching him set an effective screen.

Because of this poor help defense (and communication - it looks like he doesn’t even call out the screen), Bogut has the whole bottom half of the paint to himself.

As Jennings fires the pass in there, Bogut actually stops his cut, and this is a pretty crafty move by the big man.  Bogut doesn’t meet the basketball (like most players are taught), and he lets the ball get to him.  Bogut doesn’t meet the basketball because he is already in terrific position to make the catch (right under the basket).  If he meets the ball on the block (as he finishes his cut), he would have gave the defenders a chance to catch up.

After Bogut makes the catch, he quickly takes it to the rim and finishes with the dunk as three Pacers watch.  Here it is in real time:

15
Mar 2010
POSTED BY
POSTED IN 4th Quarters Indiana Pacers Milwaukee Bucks Xs & Os
DISCUSSION 9 Comments
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  • http://www.bucksketball.com/2010/03/buck-hits-3-15/ Bucksketball.com – TrueHoop Network Milwaukee Bucks Blog

    [...] Pruti at NBAPlaybook breaks down what he deems “the game clinching play” in Sunday’s Bucks-Pacers game.  A great look at the inner workings of a play here.  If you [...]

  • http://twitter.com/statcenter pound4pound

    Wow, that is some horrible screen-backdoor defense by the Pacers. Great breakdown as always!

  • http://www.eightpointsnineseconds.com/2010/03/bucks-game-clinching-play-vs-the-pacers/ Bucks Game-Clinching Play vs. the Pacers

    [...] on NBA Playbook, Sebastian Pruiti broke down a key play from late in Indiana’s loss to Milwaukee yesterday. Honestly, when a team that has won 11 of it’s last 12 games has a home game [...]

  • AiRPoD

    Awesome work. I really like your new dimming/lighting effects to show the play. Also looks like you’re using higher resoution images which makes it much easier to see who is who and what they are doing.

  • mike

    I love how this play literally lasts 5 seconds (once Jennings starts the play) and yet you still break it down in so much detail. Keep up the great work!

  • http://khandorssportsblog.com/wordpress khandor

    Sebastian,

    Specific keys to this play’s overall effectiveness, at least, how the Bucks are running it during this sequence, aren’t:

    i. The screen by Salmons on Bogut’s defender; or,
    ii. The decision by Jones to go over the screen; or,
    iii. The lack of attention paid by Rush to bumping Bogut off his cut line.

    What’s most import are:

    a. The simultaneous cut to the right mid-post position by Delfino;
    b. Danny Granger’s lack of attention to Bogut’s cut, while he’s checking Delfino;
    c. Delfino’s secondary screen for Bogut;
    d. Granger’s decision not to switch vs Delfino’s screen;
    e. Bogut’s decision to cut baseline off Delfino’s screen rather than into the ball-side low position above Salmons’ screen;
    f. The fact that Jennings is running this action towards the left-side of the floor, as a left-hand dominant player/passer.

    While it is wholly accurate to say that most/all NBA teams use a specific action sequence which is “similar” to this one; it is also a fact that not many other teams across the league have regularly run this specific play with both of their Wing players in position to set a back-screen and a cross-screen for their Center to post-up on the left block, as the Trail Big is in position to set the clean-up screen for their original ball-side Wing to pop out to the top of the key for an open catch & shoot or a quick ball reversal.

    As a matter of fact, most NBA teams simply have their opposite wing player move into a position above the FTLX beyond the 3PT-line in order to occupy their check on the weakside of the floor.

  • JV

    If Brandon Rush goes to cut off Bogut, doesn’t that leave Salmons wide open in the paint?

  • JW

    simple diagonal & down screen play that most NBA/WNBA/NBDL teams run….awful help defense and defensive communication…Coach O’Brien must be furious….

  • br

    it looked like bogut was stepping on the baseline when he received the pass.