Bucks-Nets: P.J. Tucker put on a defensive clinic against Kevin Durant, and the basketball gods rewarded him

There are few choices for defending a scorer like Kevin Durant, and none of them are good. You possibly can’t give him house as a result of he’s among the finest shooters on the planet, however if you happen to crowd him, he’s acquired the deal with and athleticism to not simply beat you, however make you look silly off the bounce. 

Largely, you simply attempt to hold him from his most comfy spots. If he’s off ball, possibly you attempt to be bodily and push him a couple of ft farther out than he needs to catch. If he’s on ball, you do every little thing you possibly can to beat him to his spot. From there, you clasp your fingers in prayer and hope he misses. 

Down the stretch of Milwaukee’s 86-83 Sport 3 victory over the Nets P.J. Tucker placed on a defensive clinic on Durant. He had, for essentially the most half, little to point out for it, as a result of Durant is ridiculous. However in a sport this shut, you typically solely want one cease to swing the tide. Tucker was finally rewarded for his efforts, and admittedly, he deserves his props whatever the outcome. 

We begin on the 2:30 mark of the fourth quarter. The Bucks lead by two. Durant is bringing the ball up, and Tucker is aware of Bruce Brown goes to set a ball display screen. Relatively than enable Brown to make contact, Tucker jumps above the choose and will get round it cleanly. He’s nonetheless trailing Durant, however with Brook Lopez in drop protection, Milwaukee’s solely hope for an precise contested shot is Tucker coming from behind. He does that. Contests the shot fairly strongly. Durant nonetheless makes it to tie the sport. 

On Brooklyn’s subsequent possession, with the Bucks once more up two courtesy of one other Khris Middleton bucket, Durant once more has the ball on the high awaiting a ball display screen from Brown. Once more, Tucker will get himself above the display screen. The significance of this can’t be overstated. Not everybody fights for pre-action place. One step decrease and Tucker is working smack into Brown’s chest and Durant is coming off free. Right here, Brown does get contact, however Tucker has created sufficient leverage to nonetheless battle by way of and once more contest Durant’s shot from behind. Once more, it doesn’t matter. Durant ties the sport but once more. 

We transfer to Brooklyn’s subsequent possession. The sport stays tied after a Middleton miss. No secret what’s coming: A Brown ball display screen. Tucker refuses to let it occur this time. He jumps all the way in which into Durant’s house and cuts off his preliminary angle. Durant will get the ball again on a dribble handoff and Tucker fights over/by way of a second display screen. You can not contest a shot any higher than this, and Durant nonetheless makes it. Nets up three. 

Are you able to think about how demoralizing this needs to be for a defender? You’ve got performed every little thing in your energy, and Durant is simply too tall and too nice. Coming into Sport 3, 90 % of Durant’s 3-pointers had been contested (the very best mark of any playoff shooter), and he was nonetheless making 50 % of them. 

However Tucker doesn’t stop. And it pays off. After the Bucks minimize the deficit to 1 with simply over a minute to play, they’re in dire want of a cease. Bear in mind what I stated on the high about beating superstars to their spot and possibly pushing them a bit farther out than they’d prefer to catch the ball? Nicely right here you go. 

Durant begins off ball (far nook) and Tucker is aware of he’s going to get it. He winds his manner by way of site visitors and cuts Durant off on the foul line, forcing him to return out to the 3-point line for a handoff. Then Tucker even interrupts that, knocking the ball away, taking extra time without work the shot clock and screwing up no matter rhythm Durant may’ve had off a clear catch. However it’s not over. Tucker strikes his ft and cuts off penetration, fights over one other display screen, forces Durant to offer the ball up twice (with some well timed assist from his teammates) earlier than it lastly leads to the fingers of Joe Harris. Who, lastly, misses. 

That is Rule No. 1 relating to defending superstars: At any time when potential, make another person make the shot. Sure, Harris is a world-class shooter. He might’ve simply made that shot. However that is the prayer portion of the phase. Tucker did his job. He acquired the ball out of the red-hot Durant’s fingers. It wasn’t straightforward. He fought for each inch. From there, it was out of his management. Left to the whims of the basketball gods. And the gods rewarded Tucker — if you happen to imagine on this kind of stuff — for all his earlier work with the one miss Milwaukee wanted. 

Jrue Vacation scores on the opposite finish. 

Milwaukee up one. Brooklyn has another probability. 

We all know the Nets are attempting to get Durant the ball right here. If he will get it, as we noticed within the first three clips, he can get his shot off towards anybody. And there’s a superb probability he’ll make it. Tucker doesn’t let it get that far. Watch as he once more navigates the display screen and beats Durant to the spot, denies the go and retains denying as Durant strikes down the sideline. Blake Griffin has no selection. He has to go to another person. And all hell breaks unfastened from there. Durant by no means touches the ball. 

These are 5 possessions down the stretch of a one-possession sport. You don’t know which one goes to resolve the sport. Durant received the primary three. Tucker received the final two. And people two determined the sport. Tucker caught with a plan and fought his you-know-what off. And now it’s a collection. Nets lead 2-1. Sport 4 on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET — stream by way of fuboTV (Attempt without cost). Let’s go.