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It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals at Fiserv Forum. Their performance was in complete contrast to what we saw in the second half of Game 4 after they lost Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Milwaukee Bucks ran all over the Atlanta Hawks early in the game, forcing Nate McMillan to take two early timeouts with a little over six minutes left in the first quarter. The Bucks led by as many as 20 points in the first half and continued their domination to secure victory.
Nothing seemed to work for the Hawks as they went 6 of 22 from the field in the first quarter and had five turnovers. Although they found their shooting range as the game progressed, it was a little too late as the Milwaukee Bucks maintained their intensity throughout the game.
The Bucks are one game away from qualifying for the NBA Finals. With so much on the line, it will undoubtedly be a heated Game 6 in Atlanta.
Let's take a look at five reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks won Game 5 by a 123-112 margin against the Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals.
#1 Brook Lopez was too hot to handle for the Atlanta Hawks
In the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez was on paint dominance duty and was simply unstoppable. After scoring only 20 points in the first four games of the series, Lopez exploded for 33 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in Game 5.
Although the other superstars on the team were equally impressive, the big man maintained the Milwaukee Bucks' identity of paint domination without Giannis. His efforts on defense were also commendable as the Atlanta Hawks' guards found it hard to drive past him on the switch.
Lopez was the most efficient player on the court for both teams, with a field goal percentage of .778. The Hawks did not have any answer for the Milwaukee Bucks center as he was easily the best player of the game.
#2 The Milwaukee Bucks' defensive superiority
The Milwaukee Bucks have some of the best defensive players in the league on their roster, as they showed today. Their mission to maintain defensive solidity was clear right from the tip-off. The Atlanta Hawks could muster only ten points in the first six minutes of play as a result of several steals and the unavailability of high percentage looks.
Jrue Holiday outplayed himself on defense as nothing got past him. The Atlanta Hawks' strategy was for the guard, who was not guarded by Holiday, to bring the ball up the court for them to have a chance at making plays. But the Bucks ensured they had the right answers to the Hawks' plans.
While the Milwaukee Bucks were frustrating the opposition's efforts on offense, the Hawks' defense was practically non-existent. It was smooth sailing for the Bucks' offense as they found easy lanes to the bucket. The Bucks ended the game with 11 steals, five blocks, and forced 14 turnovers.
#3 The Atlanta Hawks failed to make stops
The Milwaukee Bucks offense cruised over the Atlanta Hawks to get to the right spots and execute their gameplan. Although the Hawks are not among the top-rated defensive teams in the NBA, their effort on defense in Game 5 was appalling.
Four of the Milwaukee Bucks' starters were big scorers on the night, with the exception of PJ Tucker. Bobby Portis, who filled in for Giannis in the starting lineup, recorded a career-high 22 points in the NBA playoffs with his first career start.
Khris Middleton and Holiday were also huge contributors, recording 26 and 25 points respectively. It is worth noting that Clint Capela found his groove as the game progressed and made some incredible blocks. But it wasn't enough to rally the Atlanta Hawks as they repeatedly defended without conviction.
#4 The Milwaukee Bucks continued their dominance in the paint
The Milwaukee Bucks are known to get a significant amount of points in the paint. However, Game 4 was different as they finished the game with -2 compared to the Atlanta Hawks' paint points.
They fell apart in the second half of Game 4 after Giannis' departure but did an exceptional job picking themselves up this time around. 66 of their 123 points in Game 5 came in the paint, thanks to Lopez and Portis.
Their paint dominance extended to rebounds as well. The rebounding tally was in favor of the Milwaukee Bucks as they grabbed seven more boards than the Atlanta Hawks' total of 40.
#5 The Milwaukee Bucks forced the Atlanta Hawks to settle for perimeter shots
The Atlanta Hawks relied so much on their 3-point shooting in Game 5, and that was partly because they could not find open lanes to the hoop. The Milwaukee Bucks' priority was defending the rim, and they did so expertly. Clint Capela registered only six points, while John Collins settled for mid-range jumpers and the occasional 3-point attempt.
Even when the Atlanta Hawks were given more room to operate from the perimeter, they struggled to convert, which has been the story of the series. Bogdan Bogdanovic eventually found his range as the game progressed but his team was in too deep a hole by then to climb out of.
