A NEW GAME

MORE AND MORE, THE NBA'S GRUELING REGULAR SEASON IS TURNING INTO A LABORATORY FOR WHEN THINGS REALLY MATTER: THE POSTSEASON

- ROHAN NADKARNI

IN GAME 7 of their ferociously fought second round series against the Celtics last spring, the Bucks made a calculated gamble: They were going to let power forward Grant Williams shoot. Milwaukee's bigs-mostly Brook Lopez, as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis-all but ignored Williams whenever he was on the perimeter. If Williams was planted in the corner, Lopez would stay on the block. If Williams set a screen, his defender would drop toward the paint to cut off Boston's perimeter stars.

The result? Williams attempted a Game 7-record 18 threes, making seven of them. As a team, the Celtics hit 22 threes that day and blew out Milwaukee en route to the conference finals.

This regular season, the Bucks conspicuously changed their base defensive coverage. A team that had consistent success choking off the paint and allowing opponents to launch from deep was now making a much more concerted effort to defend the three-point line. And while Lopez has admitted the adjustment was only partially inspired by Williams's outburst in Game 7, he pointed out a truth that will become evident in the coming weeks: The regular season is a "testing ground" for the playoffs.

That's because the NBA postseason is a different version of basketball than the five-and-a half-month slog that precedes it. The intensity, the preparation, the matchup chess game-everything is heightened. As Warriors coach Steve Kerr said during his team's run to the Finals last year, "It's almost a different sport." And one playoff series-or in the case of the Bucks, even one game-can change the objectives of a team or player.