The Milwaukee Bucks have recovered from a 2-0 deficit to the Brooklyn Nets.
For two straight games, they have vastly improved to compete against this intimidating team.
The Bucks did struggle the first two games of the series, especially Game 2 when they lost by 39 points.
Now things are completely different.
Why is that?
Well, the Bucks have had multiple players step up in the midst of their past two games.
Some of them have looked like completely different players from Games 1-2 to Games 3-4.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been amazing thus far, and he is now getting the help he needs.
Here are two players who have stepped up for the Bucks in their tough series against the Nets.
2. P.J. Tucker
The primary defender on Kevin Durant for this series has been P.J. Tucker.
Tucker has been inserted into the lineup after the injury to Donte DiVincenzo and it has made a difference.
Durant is one of the best scorers we have ever seen, but Tucker tends to do a decent job on him.
Durant went 9-25 in Game 4 and Tucker was one of the biggest reasons why.
this is a PJ Tucker mixtape half so far on defense. KD’s shadow.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) June 13, 2021
These two are friends off the court, but you wouldn’t know with how intense the matchup is.
Tucker is a workhorse who will never give up.
That has been his reputation for years now.
The effort that was given this past game was exceptional.
Durant had to work for every shot and was having a hard time gaining positioning on Tucker.
The Bucks of the past couple of seasons have not had someone like Tucker on the roster.
His defense has been great, but he even added some offense this past game.
He added 13 points and seven rebounds to go alongside his defense.
Players like Tucker can become a major key into playoff success.
Tucker was a mid-season acquisition and has not immersed himself into a big role in the rotation.
1. Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton is the second guy on this Bucks team behind Antetokounmpo.
However, the first two games had Middleton looking like a role player.
His numbers for the first two games were plain awful.
He shot 13-43 with 30 total points between Games 1 and 2.
The Bucks desperately needed Middleton to perform at the All-Star level he is capable of.
Middleton bounced back tremendously in Game 3.
Khris Middleton tonight:
35 PTS
15 REB
3 3PTHe scored 8 of the last 10 Bucks points. pic.twitter.com/SBhKX781AX
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 11, 2021
Game 4 was another strong performance.
His point total was not high, which it usually is, but he played an all-around game.
Whether it was on the offensive end, or defensive end, Middleton was a key contributor for their Game 4 victory.
Middleton’s plus-minus was a plus-17 for the game.
Middleton is an All-Star who can bring different facets to each game.
He is very capable of dropping 30-plus points, but can rebound and play high level defense.
The Bucks needed him to step up in a big way, and he has now delivered in back-to-back games.
Look for him to continuing on this bounce back surge from his dismal Game 1 and 2 performances.
He is one of the biggest reasons why the Bucks are back in this series with the momentum.
NEXT: 3 Ways Bucks Can Take Down Nets In Second-Round Series
