Thon Maker is having his biggest games at the biggest time of the year.

Not bad for a bench guy and someone who Authentic Tarik Cohen Jersey , as recently as last week, was a roster afterthought.

Maker had never blocked five shots in any NBA game before this postseason began – and now he’s blocked that many in each of the last two playoff contests for the Milwaukee Bucks. There’s an old coaching adage that tells players to stay ready, because they never know when their chance to make an impact has arrived.

Maker is proving that axiom to be correct.

”Just trying to be there for my teammates, playing aggressive,” said Maker, the Bucks’ backup center. ”It’s the playoffs. These are the moments everybody plays for. You’ve got to find a way to win, you’ve got to find a way to impact the game. I try to do that every single time.”

Maker is almost an out-of-nowhere story for the Bucks, who’ve pulled even with the Boston Celtics four games into their Eastern Conference first-round series in large part because of a defensive resurgence by the bench. His offense has helped, too: Maker scored 14 points in a Game 3 victory, his highest total since a 16-point effort on New Year’s Day.

There have been some big games from reserve players in these playoffs already: Miami has gotten games of 28 and 25 points from Dwyane Wade and a 26-point effort from Kelly Olynyk, Philadelphia has seen Marco Belinelli reach 21 points twice so far, and Boston saw Greg Monroe get a double-double against the Bucks in only 23 minutes.

Backups can find themselves in the spotlight quickly if they get hot.

”When we step on the floor, we need to be assertive with what we do Jarvis Landry Browns Jersey ,” Bucks coach Joe Prunty said. ”We can’t be a step behind.”

Even the greatest players need help.

LeBron James said everyone on the Cavaliers‘ roster – himself included – needed to play better after falling behind Indiana 2-1 in their series. So in Game 4, James was great with 32 points, and Jordan Clarkson had 12 of the bench’s 32 points to help Cleveland tie the series .

”I’m supposed to come and give a spark off the bench,” said Clarkson, who scored just two points in Game 3. ”That’s what I’m supposed to do, change the game in that way.”

Toronto had one of the top bench units in the NBA during the regular season, ranking fifth in the league with a combined 41.8 scoring average. But in the East’s No. 1 seed’s first-round series, the Raptors‘ reserve scoring down to 34.5 points.

They’re tied at 2 in the series with the eighth-seeded Washington Wizards, whose bench scoring is up in the series by about the same margin to 34.3 points. The Wizards were just 16th in bench scoring this season.

A big reason for Toronto’s problems has been the absence of backup point guard Fred VanVleet, who has an injured right shoulder and played just three minutes so far, sitting out three of the four games entirely. Raptors coach Dwane Casey blamed his team’s high turnover totals – 37 over Games 3 and 4, both losses – in large part on his reserves, who he also thought were not as productive with the ball as they could have been.

”The second unit turned down some shots that they normally take Tyron Smith Cowboys Jersey ,” Casey said. ”I thought that group started the turnovers. The levee broke on those guys. I’ve got to do a better job of putting them in the right situation where they don’t turn it over.”

The Wizards tinkered with their rotations to try to keep the Raptors’ reserves in check.

”Our bench has done a good job and we’ve kind of tried to change things up and throw maybe a starter or two with our bench,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said.

As for the Celtics, they’re back in Boston to get ready to host the Bucks on Tuesday night for Game 5. Their frontcourt reserves of Monroe and Marcus Morris were dominant in the series’ second game last week, when it looked as if Boston might pull off a sweep.

Milwaukee’s reserves have pushed back with active, physical play – matching Boston’s intensity.

”As soon as (we) see that,” Maker said, ”we start to get aggressive as well on the defensive end.”

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AP Sports Writers Howard Fendrich and Michael Marot contributed to this story.

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The biggest hit of Noel Cuevas‘ young major league career was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt.

The Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners were tied at 1 in the seventh inning Saturday, and the Rockies had two men on and one out when Cuevas came to the plate as the No. 9 hitter. He got the sign for a safety squeeze, but fouled off his first bunt attempt.

Instead, Cuevas hit the next pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run homer, giving the Rockies the lead in what would be a 5-1 win.

”I wasn’t happy at that moment that I missed it. We were trying to get that run in,” Cuevas said. ”Next pitch, I can’t remember I just missed a bunt. I need to make sure I’m ready for that pitch and that was it.”

It was the second career home run for Cuevas Sean Lee Cowboys Jersey , who was called up to the Rockies on April 22, and his first since May 14. The three RBI set a career high, and he tied his best mark with three hits in the game. He also had another sacrifice attempt turn into an infield hit to load the bases in the third inning.

Cuevas wasn’t the only one at the bottom of Colorado’s order to have a big day. The Rockies’ No. 6-9 hitters combined to go 9 for 14 with five RBIs.

”All those guys, every one of their at-bats from pitch one, they were ready to hit,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. ”That’s what I saw, all of them.”

The Rockies won their fifth straight despite facing Seattle’s best starter, James Paxton (8-3). Although Paxton was again overpowering at times, striking out nine, he lost for the second time in three starts. He allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings – marking the third time in four starts Paxton allowed at least that many runs and hits.

”I felt really good today. I had good stuff, I felt like I threw the ball well,” he said. ”It was really good other than that one pitch.”

The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Gonzalez. Segura’s seventh homer tied the score in the fifth.

Reliever Scott Oberg (2-0) earned the win by throwing a perfect sixth inning, striking out two.

Colorado starter Kyle Freeland left after five innings Aaron Rodgers Jersey , allowing one run and five hits. It was Freeland’s shortest outing since going four innings on April 18 – he had pitched into the sixth inning or later in his previous 13 starts.

ROSTER MOVES

Rockies: Colorado recalled INF/OF Jordan Patterson and LHP Jerry Vasto from Triple-A Albuquerque, and C Tom Murphy – who returned to Denver on Friday to be with his wife, Lindsay, for the birth of their second child – was placed on the paternity list.

Mariners: Seattle recalled OF John Andreoli from Triple-A Tacoma and optioned RHP Nick Rumbelow to Tacoma. Andreoli started in left field Saturday and struck out twice before being replaced by Ben Gamel in the sixth.

TRAINERS ROOM

Rockies: LHP Mike Dunn was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 4 with AC joint inflammation. Colorado manager Bud Black said it was unclear how long Dunn might be out. … SS Trevor Story was scratched from the starting lineup with a bruised right foot.

Mariners: Mitch Haniger was back in the starting lineup at right field after missing two games with a bruised right knee. … 2B Dee Gordon was out of the starting lineup after hurting his hip on a play at the plate on Friday, but manager Scott Servais said it was just a day off and the injury wasn’t serious. Gordon entered the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth and popped out to left field.

CANO TALKS

Before the game, Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano talked with the media about his 80-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug agreement, saying it was the most difficult thing he’s dealt with in his life outside of the death of his grandfather. Cano is eligible to return on August 14, but is ineligible for postseason play and Gordon has excelled defensively at second base in Cano’s absence.

”I’m focused on bringing a title to Seattle so I would do whatever it takes to help this team to win,” Cano said. ”At the same time I understand I’m not going to be able to play in the playoffs so you got to give a chance to Dee to go out and play because when we get to the playoffs he’s going to have to come back and play second base.”

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (3-1, 4.44 ERA) is making his second start after starting the year in the Colorado bullpen. In his first start on Tuesday against the Giants, Senzatela pitched seven scoreless innings.

Mariners: LHP Wade LeBlanc (4-0, 3.19) will make his 13th start of the season. He allowed one run on three hits in seven innings his last time out against the Angels.

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