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With the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks taking road wins in their respective Game 7s, they will now face each other in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. Both teams had brilliant victories over their favored rivals in the second round, with Milwaukee beating the favorites to win the NBA title and Atlanta taking out the East's first seed.
The Eastern Conference Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks are now set to start on Wednesday, with the Hawks visiting the Fiserv Forum. The Milwaukee Bucks won the regular-season series against the Atlanta Hawks 2-1. Two of those games were played at Atlanta's State Farm Arena, and Milwaukee took one. The other, played at Fiserv Forum on January 24th, settled with a 14-point win for the home team.
5 Reasons why Milwaukee Bucks will beat the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals
The Milwaukee Bucks will enter the finals with an extra day of rest. They'll also be playing at home, where they have not dropped any of the five games played during the 2021 NBA Playoffs so far. With Atlanta edging the Philadelphia 76ers in a tiring, closely fought match on the road, the Bucks could be favorites to win Game 1 of the ECF.
In this article, we will look at five reasons why Giannis Antetokounmpo and company will win the first game of the Eastern Finals..
#5 Time to prepare
At this point in the NBA Playoffs, being better prepared physically could be a big deal. In this regard, the Milwaukee Bucks might have a slight advantage over the Atlanta Hawks for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Bucks will have one more day of rest as they defeated the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night (June 19). The Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, clinched their spot in the ECF only a few hours ago on June 21.
The Milwaukee Bucks have also played one fewer game in the 2021 NBA Playoffs after they swept the Miami Heat in the first round. In such a condensed 2020-21 NBA season, even a little more time to prepare and rest could become an advantage during crucial moments.
#4 Khris Middleton has been great at home in the 2021 NBA Playoffs
Khris Middleton played a huge role for the Milwaukee Bucks in the closing stages of Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets. He also made the eventual game-winning shot. However, he could only make nine of his 26 shots and two of his seven threes.
Middleton struggled on the road during the 2021 NBA Playoffs. He averages 20 points per game in six road games so far in the postseason with 36/28/89 shooting splits.
However, in the five games played by the Milwaukee Bucks at home, Middleton has averaged 27 points per game with 53/50/86 shooting splits. His performance levels at the Fiserv Forum have been excellent and will be essential once again for the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1.
#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo is showing improvement game after game
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped up in Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. The two-time NBA MVP winner showed patience and better judgment on offense in Game 7. Additionally, he also seemed to learn from his mistakes and did not attempt a single three-pointer during Game 6.
Antetokounmpo has not always made the best choices during the current NBA Playoffs. But his intensity and ability in the paint always helps him record good numbers. In the first few games against the Brooklyn Nets, Antetokounmpo made some mistakes on offense and could not find his spots consistently.
However, towards the end of the series, he stepped up and averaged 34.7 points and 14 rebounds per night in the final three games. He even made 40% of his three-pointers in that stretch and most importantly, took fewer threes than he attempted in the first few games of the series.
It is hard for a two-time NBA MVP to show improvement every time. But Giannis's extraordinary potential is helping him get better with each passing game. If he continues to make good decisions on offense and maintains his defensive intensity, the Milwaukee Bucks could go all the way in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
#2 The Milwaukee Bucks have been great at Fiserv Forum for a long stretch now
The Milwaukee Bucks had home-court advantage in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat. They won their two games at Fiserv Forum in that series.
Against the Brooklyn Nets, they played at Fiserv Forum after falling behind in the series by scorelines of 0-2, 1-2 and 2-3. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets in each of their three games at home and eventually won the seventh game on the road.
Including the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks have taken 13 consecutive home wins, with five of those coming in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
The Milwaukee Bucks' most recent loss at home came on April 19th, against the Phoenix Suns. Mike Budenholzer's team will definitely need to dominate at home to get a step closer to the NBA Finals.
Of course, the Atlanta Hawks also have the right dynamic going for them. Nate McMillan's team is coming off a road win in a Game 7 too and has a 5-2 record on the road in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
#1 Confidence
Momentum is definitely an aspect to consider highly during the NBA Playoffs and the Milwaukee Bucks could have the highest confidence of any team so far. Beating the clear candidates to win the NBA championship will surely provide any team with a huge amount of confidence and the Bucks have done just that.
With their enormous victory against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 of the second round on the road, the Milwaukee Bucks shut down several critics. The victory could also be the breakthrough the team desperately needed in the NBA Playoffs.
However, the Atlanta Hawks are also in a similar situation, though the pressure and expectations placed on them were clearly different.
With both teams taking huge victories in the second round, the ECF will put together two squads playing at full strength, physically and emotionally.
Also read: 5 moves the Golden State Warriors should avoid in the 2021 NBA offseason
