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The Milwaukee Bucks recovered a 15-point deficit to win Game 3 at the Atlanta Hawks' home floor in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2021 NBA playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton combined for 71 points and 22 rebounds, spoiling Trae Young's 35-point outing.
The Atlanta Hawks, though underdogs in this series, have another opportunity to win a game at home to tie the series at two games apiece. However, other players need to step up, as Trae Young hurt his ankle late in Game 3 and might not be 100% heading into Game 4.
Young stepped over the official, Sean Wright's foot and tweaked his ankle, following which he had to be escorted to the locker room.
Trae Young said about his ankle injury after his team's Game 3 loss:
"It's sore right now. It's hurting. It's frustrating."
2021 NBA Playoffs: Who needs to step up for the Atlanta Hawks now that Trae Young is injured?
The Atlanta Hawks don't have All-Stars or All-NBA players on their roster, but they defied all odds to reach the conference finals.
They play as a cohesive unit, and every player who steps on the court is up for the challenge. They are led by their gunslinger Trae Young, who is now hobbling with an injury, though.
On that note, let us take a look at three players who need to step up in Game 4 to help the Atlanta Hawks draw parity in the series.
#1 Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdan Bogdanovic has been utterly underwhelming in the ongoing 2021 NBA playoffs.
Even with Young on the floor, Bogdanovic was the best shooter for the Atlanta Hawks in the regular season. He shot 43.8% from beyond the arc and was the third-highest scorer, with 16.4 points per game. However, his production has taken an alarming dip in the postseason.
Bogdanovic is now down to 29% from the three-point range and is averaging just over 12 points a night.
Bogdan Bogdanovic has scored single-digit points in his last six consecutive playoff games for the Atlanta Hawks, shooting 16% from downtown. Clearly, he needs to step up and knock down his shots, or else the Hawks' postseason journey could end in the Conference Finals.
#2 Lou Williams
Lou Williams showed up big in Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers to kickstart the Atlanta Hawks' historic 26-point comeback.
Everyone expected him to be a huge contributor moving forward, as Bogdanovic and Huerter were struggling. However, his Game-5 performance turned out to be a one time show.
The Atlanta Hawks need to see more production from the veteran in the coming games. Williams averaged 11.3 points per game in the regular season and is down to only 6.5 in the playoffs.
Lou Williams has been a prolific scorer in the teams he has played for. If Danilo Gallinari can come off the bench and show incredible production, Williams must do it too.
Coach Nate McMillan needs to give Williams more minutes, and the latter could take some of the load off Trae Young, being the backup point guard.
#3 Clint Capela
Clint Capela is the primary Atlanta Hawks player to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo in the ongoing 2021 NBA Eastern Conference Finals series.
Nobody else in the team can match the two-time MVP's size and strength, so Capela needs to either match Antetokounmpo's minutes or play key minutes down the stretch.
Clint Capela was absent in the fourth quarter of Game 3, which led to Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring in the paint at will. The former's absence also led to a lack of rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks, as the Bucks got multiple offensive boards and second-chance scoring opportunities.
If a game gets close, Antetokounmpo will have to be contained. Clint Capela is also the ideal player to draw charges and offensive fouls, which could put Antetokounmpo in foul trouble.
Moreover, Capela has gone down from 2.0 blocks per game in the regular season to just 0.5 blocks in the last two playoff series. His rebounding and rim protection are valuable, so coach McMillan taking him off the floor down the stretch hurt the Hawks in Game 3.
Also Read: What is the biggest comeback win in NBA history?
Guess the Lakers players!
