Host of the Duncan Robinson podcast, Pat Connaughton talked about Milwaukee’s disappointing campaign in the last playoffs. Champions of the NBA, the Bucks ran into Boston, the future finalist, at the end of a breathtaking conference semifinal that lasted until Game 7.
For the Bucks wild card, who produced for three years last month, the absence of Khris Middleton necessarily weighed, but the chances of reaching the conference final were very real.
“Injuries are part of the game”e-the relativized. “Every year, there are teams that can probably say to themselves, ‘If he had been in good health, we would have had a much better opportunity.’ Of course, for us it’s the easiest thing to touch with your fingers. He went all the way to Game 7 against Boston without Khris Middleton. What would we have done if he had been there? Unfortunately the NBA is like that and that’s the way it is this season too It’s hard to put off a title. It’s not just about being the best team, there’s also a bit of luck at stake. On injuries and a lot of things. Despite that, I think we still had a chance. Under 3-2 in Game 5 in Boston. Game 6 is a game we have to win. We will learn from this failure, we will use it as motivation this summer and it will make us better, because of defeat. Because I think you learn more from defeat than from victory, unfortunately.
Less control in key games
On several occasions, Milwaukee and in particular have managed to overturn the series on its side, but have stumbled upon two extraordinary individual performances, with Al Horford in Game 4 and Jayson Tatum and Game 6, each time they beat the cards.
The key games that worked in their favor during the 2021 playoffs this time slipped through their fingers.
“We were lucky to be on the other side of the barrier when we won the title in 2021 in terms of momentum. We won the games we had to win and the important games. Momentum in the NBA is fragile in the playoffs. This year we have been less successful “, he remembered. “The series against Boston was just a story of momentum. His Race 1 wins there, we lose the second, OK, it’s 1-1. I’m not saying the momentum is changing, but the series is still in our favor. In the third wins, in loses the 4 at home with Al Horford planting 30 points. The momentum then changes immediately. We have the chance to go 3-1 at home and finish the series on the remaining matches (…). In recovers it by winning Race 5 there, and in restarts the next game. It was an emotional roller coaster ”.
For Pat Connaughton, look back on a good lesson for next season on how to capture and try to keep the momentum going.
“In the NBA you have to be really careful not to throw yourself too hard. When the momentum shifts from team to team, here’s what happens. Teams have a tendency to project (…). We have to remember this year’s lesson, where we often found ourselves on the wrong side, to say to ourselves: “We have to take each game one after the other”. To whom, the situation can get out of hand quickly ”.
| Pat Connaughton | Percentage | It bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Equipment | MJ | Mr | mar | 3 pt | LF | Turned off | def | Until | Pd | ft | int | Mr | ct | Pt |
| 2015-16 | FROM | 34 | 4 | 26.5 | 23.8 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| 2016-17 | FROM | 39 | 8 | 51.4 | 51.5 | 77.8 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.5 |
| 2017-18 | FROM | 82 | 18 | 42.3 | 35.2 | 84.1 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 5.4 |
| 2018-19 | MIL | 61 | 21 | 46.6 | 33.0 | 72.5 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 6.9 |
| 2019-20 | MIL | 67 | 19 | 45.5 | 33.1 | 77.5 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 5.4 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 69 | 23 | 43.4 | 37.1 | 77.5 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 6.8 |
| 2021-22 | MIL | 65 | 26 | 45.8 | 39.5 | 83.3 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 9.9 |
| Total | 417 | 19 | 44.5 | 36.5 | 79.7 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 5.9 | |
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