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The Atlanta Hawks squared up against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at the Fiserv Forum. The Bucks did not show half the intensity we witnessed in their conference semi-finals run, resulting in a 113-116 loss against the Hawks.
Starting the series on the road has not fazed the Atlanta Hawks as they have once again secured a Game 1 victory, as they did in their previous rounds. For the Milwaukee Bucks, it was their first home loss in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
It was a close contest from the tip-off, as neither team failed to maintain their lead for long stretches. Although the Milwaukee Bucks dominated the first half of the game, they fell apart in the third quarter. The Atlanta Hawks orchestrated another second-half comeback to clinch victory.
Khris Middleton was unreliable for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Atlanta Hawks as he struggled on the floor. Jrue Holiday and Giannis were the pillars that tried to hold the Bucks up on offense. PJ Tucker looked lost defensively as he was unable to keep up with the Hawks' pace.
The two teams registered 13 lead changes. But the Atlanta Hawks gained separation after Trae Young converted 3-of-4 free throws with under five seconds left.
On that note, let's take a look at five reasons why the Atlanta Hawks won against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals.
#1 Trae Young was unstoppable
Trae Young just confirmed his status as a superstar with a dominating performance against the highly-rated Milwaukee Bucks. The guard shook off his poor performance against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Hawks' Conference semi-final seriesand came into this matchup with renewed intensity.
Young registered a whopping 48 points and 11 assists despite still nursing soreness in his right shoulder.
#2 The Atlanta Hawks outworked the Milwaukee Bucks on the glass
Rebounding is a huge part of the game, and the Atlanta Hawks made sure to win that battle. While both teams recorded an equal number of offensive rebounds, the Hawks did a better job defensively, restricting the opportunity for the Milwaukee Bucks in getting second-chance buckets.
Clint Capela was the standout rebounder for the Atlanta Hawks, grabbing 19 of the team's 51 rebounds. John Collins also put in a decent shift, grabbing 15 boards on the night. These numbers are impressive irrespective of the fact that they were this successful even with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court.
#3 The Atlanta Hawks took advantage of their free throws
Free throw shooting provided the edge for the Atlanta Hawks against the Milwaukee Bucks in this fixture. While the Milwaukee Bucks matched the Hawks in other aspects, this was the singular area where Nate McMillan's side dominated.
Although both teams had a quiet game with respect to getting to the line, the Atlanta Hawks converted on the few opportunities that came. Only three players went to the line for both teams as it was not quite a physical contest. Regardless, the Hawks shot 87.5%, missing only two shots, while the Milwaukee Bucks ended the game with 78.6% shooting from the charity stripe.
Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his impressive shooting from the charity stripe, going 6-of-8 in this matchup.
#4 The Milwaukee Bucks failed to match the Atlanta Hawks' pace on defense
Defense was not a strong point for the Bucks in this game as they were lackadaisical on that end. The second-round series will serve as a benchmark because the Bucks fought for every possession. In this game, they allowed the young Atlanta Hawks team to control the pace.
Understandably, the Atlanta Hawks' young squad had more energy to run up and down the court. But Milwaukee Bucks players showed no willingness to put in the extra effort. The Bucks have a lot of restructuring to do as there were a lot of unfair matchups.
For the Atlanta Hawks, John Collins was the most impressive player on defense, forcing the Milwaukee Bucks to take difficult shots.
#5 The Milwaukee Bucks shot the ball dreadfully from beyond the arc
While both teams were poor from 3-point range, the Atlanta Hawks were slightly better. Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks was the best 3-point shooter of the night, but his 5-of-12 shooting was not enough to resuscitate what was a cold shooting night for the team. Middleton lost his shooting range completely, converting zero out of nine attempts.
Although Bogdan Bogdanovic's struggles continued, Trae Young bailed out the Atlanta Hawks, shooting 4-of-13 from downtown, while four others managed one each. In the end, the Hawks shot 25% from 3-point range, while the Milwaukee Bucks shot at 22%.
While there was little difference in productivity, both teams were evenly matched as they both converted only eight shots from downtown. The same goes for the field goal as the Atlanta Hawks shot 47/95 while the Milwaukee Bucks shot 47/102.
