The Bucks Run A Great Play To Send The Game To OT | NBA Playbook

The Bucks Run A Great Play To Send The Game To OT

With 16 seconds left, the Milwaukee Bucks were trailing the Boston Celtics by two points.  The Celtics sport one of the best halfcourt defenses in the NBA, so if you want to beat them for two in a situation like this, you need to be creative with your playcalling.  Scott Skiles was most definitely creative with this late game call:

As Brandon Jennings gets the basketball, he takes it towards the middle of the court.  As this happens, Andrew Bogut appears to be getting in position to set a screen for Jennings.  The purpose of this quick little show is to force Glen Davis to show his hedge on the play.

At the last second, Bogut ditches the screen and busts it to the corner.  Look where Glen Davis is positioned.  Because he had to hedge, he is farther away from Bogut than he would like.

As Davis chases Bogut down, he is more concerned with getting back to him than helping on his down screen, and that allows Carlos Delfino to curl the screen, get the basketball, and get into the lane.

Big Baby finally brings the help to the paint, but it is too late and Delfino hits the lay-up.  Here is the play in real time.  Focus on Big Baby when watching the play.

The beauty of the play is showing the screen.  The Bucks run a lot of pick and rolls with Bogut and Jennings, so when the Bucks showed it, the Celtics got into “Defending the PNR mode” and they were unable to react to the quick downscreen play.

04
Nov 2010
POSTED BY Sebastian Pruiti
POSTED IN 4th Quarters Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks
DISCUSSION 16 Comments
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  • Logan Light

    This is a great play. I love when bigs are able to show that screen and then get off of it quick enough to stick the D out of position. Amare' is really good at it as well.

  • Logan Light

    This is a great play. I love when bigs are able to show that screen and then get off of it quick enough to stick the D out of position. Amare’ is really good at it as well.

  • http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2010/11/04/last-minute-shots-a-debated-science/ The Point Forward » Posts Last-minute shots a debated science «

    [...] The great NBA Playbook has the full play here, and indeed, the Bucks started the play by having Bogut run at Jennings, as if to initiate a ho-hum [...]

  • Greyberger

    That is tricky. You captured it great in the images.

  • http://www.bucksketball.com/2010/11/nba-playbook-looks-at-how-the-bucks-got-to-overtime/ NBA Playbook looks at how the Bucks got to overtime |

    [...] great work breaking down plays every day.  He chose to take a look at the play the Bucks ran to tie the game in the fourth quarter last night and send Milwaukee into overtime.  Here’s the play, but head over to NBA Playbook [...]

  • Greyberger

    That is tricky. You captured it great in the images.

  • Praefect

    What's really nice is the way Bogut rolls quickly after screening for Delfino, and he's so close to the basket already that with the height advantage, Big Baby can't turn his back on him, so he can't even watch Delfino at all until he's followed Bogut all the way to the hoop. Davis was actually in position to help when Delfino came around, but he is glued to Bogut. That close to the hoop, when your man is taller than you, you have no time to show and recover. Nice play.

  • Praefect

    What’s really nice is the way Bogut rolls quickly after screening for Delfino, and he’s so close to the basket already that with the height advantage, Big Baby can’t turn his back on him, so he can’t even watch Delfino at all until he’s followed Bogut all the way to the hoop. Davis was actually in position to help when Delfino came around, but he is glued to Bogut. That close to the hoop, when your man is taller than you, you have no time to show and recover. Nice play.

  • Jason

    In my professional opinion, Scott Skiles is one of the best coaches in the NBA

  • Jason

    In my professional opinion, Scott Skiles is one of the best coaches in the NBA

  • Chicago Tim

    I remember watching that play and I think the announcers said something like “that was too easy.” I figured there was more to it than that, since the Celtics defense doesn't normally break down that easily. Thanks for showing how it worked!

  • Chicago Tim

    I remember watching that play and I think the announcers said something like “that was too easy.” I figured there was more to it than that, since the Celtics defense doesn’t normally break down that easily. Thanks for showing how it worked!

  • Chris

    what about KG? didn't he blow the help with pierce there to rotate?

  • Chris

    what about KG? didn’t he blow the help with pierce there to rotate?

  • Chris

    what about KG? didn't he blow the help with pierce there to rotate?

  • http://www.bucksketball.com/2011/02/a-summary-of-the-bucks-offense-in-one-possession/ A summary of the Bucks offense in one possession |

    [...] a timeout.  This is a team that ran one of the finest sets of the year earlier this season in Boston in a late game situation.  Milwaukee is certainly capable of running effective offense.  More often than not though, four [...]