Aussie Thon Maker had only stepped on the floor for one minute in the first two games of the Milwaukee Bucks first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
MORE: 76ers' Ben Simmons on the physicality of the playoffs:'I played Australian football, so I'm used to it.'
After losing the first two games in Boston, head coach Joe Prunty called on Maker to provide some much-needed energy and rim protection in Game 3 on Saturday (AEDT).
Maker finished with a playoff career-high 14 points, five rebounds and a career-high five blocks in just 24 minutes off the bench in the Bucks 116-92 win over the Celtics to get back into the series.
He also set a new playoff career-high 3 three-pointers going 3-for-4.
"We're getting it done on the defensive end today," Maker told Fox Sports Wisconsin at the half. "We're feeding off of the energy of the crowd."
"We took those two (loses) on the road, you know we got to make a statement down here. We can't let our season slip out like that."
.@Bucks center Thon Maker had six points and FIVE blocks in the first half: "We have nothing to lose" pic.twitter.com/vPROsY2Mg2
— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) April 21, 2018
Jaylen Brown who had a terrific Game 2 saw his shot get swatted away by Maker.
Later he got a driving Jayson Tatum to close the first quarter.
An all-important Game 4 will be played on Monday morning with tip set for 3:00 a.m. AEDT. Bucks fans were so excited about Saturday's performance they broke out into a "Bucks in 6" chant late in the game.
