It was Game 5 at 2:05 p.m. on Thursday night. Jrue Holiday, who had been open since 3, got a wing pass by P.J. Tucker.Giannis Antetokounmpo, an injured player, was sitting at the bench wearing a cream-colored long-sleeve T shirt and gray sweatpants. The Bucks had roared into their game, the energy pulsing inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.Holiday's 3 was dropped by the Milwaukee Bucks, giving them a lead of 10-2 and forcing an Atlanta Hawks stoppage. This was exactly the opposite of Tuesday's Game 4 at Atlanta. Without Trae Young, Hawks surged to a 10-2 lead and forced a Bucks timeout. The Bucks were just as determined to carry the weight of an absent star like the Hawks, and they never gave up.Since Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have been building their roster. The Bucks worked hard to find the right fit by refining roles and finding hidden gems. Antetokounmpo was unable to provide his offense in a game where the team had to create its own. The supporting cast filled that void and won Game 5 of Eastern Conference finals 123-112 to take a 3-2 series lead.Brook Lopez is the best example of this. He scored a playoff-high 33 points from 14 shots, and dominated inside with his massive size and brute force.Coach Mike Budenholzer stated that Brook's ability to get to the paint is a sign of his success. He deserves our gratitude.Lopez was one of the main beneficiaries of that discovery process in 2018, when he signed with Bucks via their biannual exemption, which cost $3.4 million per season.The No. The No. 10 pick of the New Jersey Nets was a player who spent his first nine seasons as a primary choice. His skill set was matched by rosters that were tailored to his needs. He is the Nets' all-time top scorer, scoring an average of 20 points per game in his career.He took 31 3-pointers in his eight first seasons with the Nets. In his ninth season, he scored 387 points. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the deal that brought D'Angelo Russell from Brooklyn. He was part of a Lakers team that was in dire need of a resurgence.He made nearly 200 3s in his first season with Bucks. This was a key piece of the Antetokounmpo puzzle. The new $52 million contract was awarded to Lopez in 2019 and Lopez is now a 3-point sharpshooting stretch 5 protecting the rim."I'm trying to help my team as much as possible. Lopez stated that Lopez is open to playing any type of 3-ball, floor stretch, or indoor game. The best thing about today was that we were all just basketball players on offense and defense. We played off each other, making plays and making extra passes. It was great fun.Holiday was the two-way upgrade, for which the Bucks gave part of their long-term financial future to the New Orleans Pelicans. He has in some ways already proven his worth as Antetokounmpo's precursor to signing a five year deal to remain with the Bucks.Holiday was needed to be more reliable and help them in dry periods. Although he has been inconsistent, the Bucks need him to be a scorer and stopper as they push forward. To get him, they gave up three pick swaps and two first-rounders. But 25 points and 13 assists in just 42 minutes of Game 5 felt like a lot."I knew that I had to be aggressive. Holiday stated that Giannis's out or not, it didn't matter what that means. "I just knew I had to be aggressive." I feel that the best way to help my team is by getting in the paint, penetrating, and dishing out 3s and wide-open views... dishes to Brook for giant dunks such as that."Last offseason, the Bucks signed Bobby Portis to increase their 4 spacers and scorer options. Portis is a fan favorite due to his chantable name or the intense energy and intensity with which he plays. Budenholzer was able to adjust defensive strategies, giving him the opportunity to create new look for Young and the Hawks. Portis is a skilled scorer and his 22 points in just 36 minutes on Thursday are a good example of that.Portis stated that "Coming here was my best decision in my career." "Having great veterans like Brook and Giannis to guide me on how to play two-way on the defensive side, and guys like Khris (Middleton) and Jrue to help me put the ball in to the hole and still trust my shot, and having Coach Bud and all the coaching staff... it was a great business decision."Middleton was a star, who showed his final skills in Game 3, and continued to score with steady scoring in Game 5, with 26 points in just 45 minutes. Antetokounmpo was out of the picture, so he was the obvious choice to step in and help fill his plate. Middleton, a rhythm player who is focused, waits for the game to open up and his hand to heat up. The story of his character as a player is well told. He was a second-round selection from Texas A&M and became Antetokounmpo’s star sidekick, which made the Bucks' shutdown a little easier.Every coach and player knows that when a star player is injured, it's not just one player who needs to be elevated, but the whole team. The team's success is dependent on the roster.Middleton stated that "a lot of people expect" him to take over the reins without Giannis. "It's not about getting involved or trying to get others involved. It's more like playing within the game. Jrue and I know that Jrue will be the main focus. Jrue was a master at setting the tone. Brook and Bobby were also able to get him going.The story of this series, and the postseason, is one of roster attrition. They are now one win away, with Antetokounmpo or not, from the Finals.
