Giannis Antetokounmpo continuing to believe as Milwaukee Bucks fall into 2-0 hole against Brooklyn Nets - ESPN

Giannis Antetokounmpo describes his even-keeled demeanor and says he still believes in the Bucks despite their dropping two games in a row to the Nets.

But after getting obliterated 125-86 by the James Harden-less Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Monday night in New York, the Bucks head home for Game 3 on Thursday knowing that they're now two losses away from a third straight disastrous end to their season.

After Milwaukee's Game 1 loss Saturday -- a game in which they missed 24 3-point attempts and the Nets got unexpected production from Blake Griffin and Mike James after Harden exited 47 seconds in with hamstring tightness -- the expectation by some was the Bucks would even the series with Harden watching from the sideline.

Instead, the Nets demolished the Bucks from the start, taking a 36-19 advantage after one quarter and leading wire-to-wire in the biggest win in franchise history -- and the worst postseason loss in Mike Budenholzer's three years as Milwaukee's coach.

Entering the series, Milwaukee's biggest advantage seemed to be inside, where both Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez are significantly bigger than the defenders the Nets have on them -- especially with Brooklyn playing small and using either Griffin or Nicolas Claxton at center.

But after the Bucks got eight offensive rebounds in the first quarter of Game 1, the Nets have effectively walled off the paint since.

Milwaukee had only 11 offensive rebounds in Game 2 -- and barely edged Brooklyn overall in rebounding (44-42).

Khris Middleton followed up his clunker in Game 1 with another in Game 2; he shot just 7-for-20 from the field and missed all six shots he took in that fateful first quarter.

And after getting to the basket repeatedly in Game 1, Antetokounmpo had a fairly pedestrian line -- certainly by his standards -- of 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 turnovers (he also went 2-for-7 from the foul line) in 33 minutes.

Combine that with the Nets shooting 52% overall -- and an absurd 50% (21-of-42) from 3-point range -- while Milwaukee shot just 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) from deep, and it's easy to see how Brooklyn ran the Bucks out of Barclays Center so thoroughly.