Game 2: Hawks at Bucks
8:30 p.m. ET, TNT | Hawks lead 1-0
• With a 116-113 win against the Bucks on Wednesday, the Hawks improved to 3-0 in Game 1s this postseason – all of which came on the road for the No. 5 seed. However, the Hawks are 0-2 in Game 2s and will look to buck that trend tonight in Milwaukee. In three Game 1 wins, the Hawks have averaged 117 points on 49.1%-35.4%-91.8% shooting splits. In two Game 2 losses, those marks have dropped to 97 ppg on 41.3%-31.1%-82.5% shooting.
• Trae Young finished Game 1 with a playoff career-high 48 points and 11 assists, becoming the first player with at least 45 and 10 in a Conference finals game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Jrue Holiday was the primary defender on Young, holding him to 13 points (27% of Young’s total) in 6:32 (50.3% of offensive matchup time). Young had just nine points (18.8% of his total) on 2-for-10 FG, 1-for-5 3-pointers, 4-for-5 free throws in 3:15 (24.9% of offensive matchup time) against Giannis Antetokounmpo and P.J. Tucker. Young did most of his damage when defended by Pat Connaughton (eight points in 1:13), Bobby Portis (six points in 24 seconds) and Brook Lopez (five points in 22 seconds); in a combined 1:59 (15.4% of offensive matchup time), Young scored 19 points (39.6% of his total) on 8-for-13 shooting.
• The Bucks outscored the Hawks 70-54 in the paint in Game 1. Antetokounmpo scored 28 of his team-high 34 points in the paint as all 14 of his made field goals came inside the key; his other six points came at the free throw line. During the regular season, the Bucks went 18-6 when scoring more than 50 points in the paint. During the postseason, they are just 1-4 in those games.
• Holiday matched his season high with 33 points as he and Antetokounmpo each shot 14-for-25 from the field in Game 1. While they combined to score 77 points on 56% shooting, the rest of the Bucks combined for just 36 points on 36.5% shooting. Khris Middleton finished with 15 points on 6-23 shooting, including 0-for-9 on 3-pointers, making it two Game 1s in a row in which he’s shot 6-for-23 from the field with no 3-pointers. The Bucks are 6-1 this postseason when Middleton scores at least 20 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday |
Rest of Bucks |
• The Hawks outrebounded the Bucks 51-45 during Game 1, with the teams even on the offensive glass (12-12). This was only the third time the Bucks have been outrebounded in the playoffs; they are 1-2 in those games. During the regular season, the Bucks went 38-9 when winning the rebound battle, but just 8-17 when they were outrebounded (or tied). Combining the regular season and playoffs, the Bucks are 9-19 when they lose/tie the rebound battle and 45-11 when they outrebound their opponent.