Then Hart checked in and immediately sent a cross-court pass to Toppin on the wing.
Toppin caught the ball and launched a three-pointer without moving.
Swish!
The ball swished through the net!
The lead was back down to four!
Beep!!!
The Bucks called a timeout!
Since the start of the fourth quarter, the Knicks had gone on a 13–4 run, forcing the Bucks to stop the game!
And in Bucks head coach Buden's eyes, the scariest thing about the Knicks right now wasn't even their offense. It was the terrifying defense they'd shown over the past few possessions.
Chen Xi, Toppin, and Ethan were all capable forwards, and together they covered an enormous amount of ground on defense.
And it wasn't just their size and reach.
Their help-defense speed, how quickly they rotated, and their choices when cutting off passing lanes—all those little details were excellent.
That was what made them such a headache, and it was the kind of defense Giannis hated most.
The brief timeout passed quickly.
The game resumed.
The Bucks inbounded from the backcourt. Middleton dribbled across half court and started the offense from the top of the key.
He held the ball for a moment, then handed it off to Lillard.
Lillard caught the ball and continued toward the right wing, then used a screen from Brook Lopez. He sprang straight up and shot a three.
The ball sailed over the court and dropped cleanly through the net.
Three-pointer!
On the first possession after the timeout, Cousin steadied his team with a pull-up three.
The Bucks adjusted quickly.
They knew it was tough to score inside right now, so they simply shifted their focus and put the offense back in Lillard's hands.
Judging by that first possession, the adjustment seemed to be working.