Bucks Look For Bounce-Back Effort In Game 2
The Milwaukee Bucks will host the Atlanta Hawks at Fiserv Forum on Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks currently lead the series 1-0.
The Hawks found themselves on the losing end of Game 1 late in the fourth quarter, but an excellent reaction on crunch time allowed them to pull the upset and secure the victory in the season opener. Trae Young was sensational for the Hawks, with 48 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and a steal, in 41 minutes. John Collins followed up with 23 points and 15 rebounds, while Clint Capela totaled 12 points, 19 rebounds, a steal and a block. The Hawks shot 49 percent from the field, including 8-of-32 from long range. The Hawks will need to display the same kind of efficiency in Game 2 but also have to tighten things up defensively, as they allowed Milwaukee's star trio of Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton to combine for 82 points. They can't afford that to happen on a back-to-back basis. One positive note for the Hawks, however, is the fact that they've won five of their last six road games during the current postseason run.
Despite the loss, there were a few encouraging signs for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 34 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks across 41 minutes. Jrue Holiday followed up with 33 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block, while Khris Middleton added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Bucks shot 46 percent from the field, including 8-of-36 from deep, and it's clear they need to do a better job of draining their long-range attempts. However, if their star players continue to perform as they did in Game 1, Milwaukee should still have the edge in the series' long-term outlook. They just need to tweak a few things here and there, especially when it comes to close games out -- something that already happened to them in the previous series against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Hawks found themselves on the losing end of Game 1 late in the fourth quarter, but an excellent reaction on crunch time allowed them to pull the upset and secure the victory in the season opener. Trae Young was sensational for the Hawks, with 48 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and a steal, in 41 minutes. John Collins followed up with 23 points and 15 rebounds, while Clint Capela totaled 12 points, 19 rebounds, a steal and a block. The Hawks shot 49 percent from the field, including 8-of-32 from long range. The Hawks will need to display the same kind of efficiency in Game 2 but also have to tighten things up defensively, as they allowed Milwaukee's star trio of Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton to combine for 82 points. They can't afford that to happen on a back-to-back basis. One positive note for the Hawks, however, is the fact that they've won five of their last six road games during the current postseason run.
Despite the loss, there were a few encouraging signs for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 34 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks across 41 minutes. Jrue Holiday followed up with 33 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block, while Khris Middleton added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Bucks shot 46 percent from the field, including 8-of-36 from deep, and it's clear they need to do a better job of draining their long-range attempts. However, if their star players continue to perform as they did in Game 1, Milwaukee should still have the edge in the series' long-term outlook. They just need to tweak a few things here and there, especially when it comes to close games out -- something that already happened to them in the previous series against the Brooklyn Nets.