NBA Playoff DifferenceMakers: June 29, 2021

What were the key stats and moments from the Atlanta Hawks’ series-tying Game 4 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks?

Atlanta Hawks 110, Milwaukee Bucks 88

Series tied 2-2

FINAL BOX SCORE

The Atlanta Hawks were without Trae Young for this game, as he was sidelined by a bruised bone in his right foot. It occurred late in Game 3 when he rolled over a referee’s foot. However, the Hawks did have a team that banded together in hopes of keeping their backs off of the 3-1 wall. They used that will to absolutely rout the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, guaranteeing that this series will continue at least through the weekend.

While a Hawks win was never completely out of the question, it was genuinely surprising to see them take down the Bucks so decisively without Trae Young running things. On the offensive end, the loss of Young meant more ball movement was needed to find open shooters. Atlanta logged 26 assists in this game, a total bested only by the 28 they dished out in Game 3 of the first round.

Defensively, the team simply came with more intensity, successfully frustrating Milwaukee’s offensive operations. The Bucks shot just 39.3 percent from the field for the game and 34.1 percent in the first half. Trae’s absence also opened up rotation minutes for Cameron Reddish and Kris Dunn, two talented defensive players that were certainly hungry to make positive contributions for their team. This was only Dunn’s third playoff game and Reddish’s second overall game since February.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury with 7:13 left in the third quarter was incredibly heartbreaking. I strongly hope that the damage from his hyperextended left knee is minimal. He was able to walk on that knee (albeit with a sizable limp) as he was taken to the tunnel. He also returned to the bench briefly before ultimately heading back to the locker room. Perhaps these are a positive indicators that he will be fine in the near future. I basically just hope Giannis is okay, both from human and basketball standpoints.

However, it should be noted that the Bucks were struggling to keep up with the Hawks even at the time of the incident. Atlanta was ahead 62-52. Giannis had a decent 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting, eight rebounds, three assists, and a block. His teammates weren’t nearly as productive. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday were shooting a combined 6-of-20 from the field. The whole team except Giannis was shooting just 32.5 percent.

After losing Giannis, Atlanta promptly went on a 15-0 run that basically put the game away for good. The Hawks closed out the quarter leading by a game-high 25 points. Milwaukee never led at any point from tip-off to final buzzer.

Milwaukee never came with the necessary energy to beat a team that was without their superstar. That’s frustrating to see, even for a neutral party such as myself. Then again, this inconsistency is a common occurrence with the Bucks both in these playoffs and throughout the Mike Budenholzer Era.

I think that Trae has a much higher chance of returning to this series than Giannis. Even with that being the case, the Bucks, on paper, should be able to take control and eliminate the Hawks. However, with losses like this, it really makes you doubt that they are up to the task.