Brooklyn Nets: 4 playoff takeaways from victory over Milwaukee Bucks

3. Getting Into Giannis’ Head?

Captured by a team assembled with almost entirely younger players, counted out by almost everyone, having fun, surpassing expectations, and bothering even the league’s best teams…Brooklyn’s win over Milwaukee truly felt like a game from last year’s squad.

Donta Hall’s energy and its effect on Giannis Antetokounmpo most certainly played a hand in that.

Eerily resembling Jared Dudley’s funny yet effective jarring against Ben Simmons during the playoffs last year, Hall nearly started a fight after throwing the Greek Freak to the ground while the two battled down low for a rebound during the game’s early stages.

Antetokounmpo, who rarely shows much emotion to begin with, popped up and retaliated at Hall by barking out some language which appeared vulgar, only to provoke a tantalizing smirk across Hall’s face.

Both players notched double personal fouls, and the chipping died down shortly thereafter, but the aggressiveness displayed by the Nets, combined with their overall irritating presence as a team, somehow contending with and refusing to back down to Antetokounmpo, helped BK gain a slight edge. This factor helped the Nets keep the game’s momentum almost the entire time. Due to the win itself, along with its notoriety, expect that same momentum and energy to carry over into any potential playoff matchup against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

Almost nobody ever manages to get under Antetokounmpo’s skin, but Hall already accomplished this. So during the playoffs, if Hall were convert an and-one over him or perhaps lure him into a charge, he just might find his way back inside Antetokounmpo’s head and look to throw him off. Every team needs an energy guy, always ready to play the psychological side, and bother the opponent upstairs. Especially during the playoffs. Maybe the Nets found their guy in the scrap heap?