Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals is on Thursday night. The Atlanta Hawks head north once again to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks in a pivotal matchup. Both organizations are dealing with injuries, with Giannis Antetokounmpo out due to a knee injury and Trae Young in danger of missing another game with his ankle issue. We'll see who has the best depth, as Game 5 gives a huge advantage to the winner.
With Trae Young potentially out, the Hawks will need to rely on scoring elsewhere like they did in a dominant Game 4 victory. Giannis Antetokounmpo is officially out, as mentioned, so that's a brutal blow for Milwaukee. With no Giannis to dominate in the paint, the Bucks will need to heat up from the outside and actually hit some 3-point shots, which has been an issue in the playoffs.
Here are three bold predictions for this Hawks-Bucks Game 5 matchup.
1. John Collins leads Hawks in scoring
John Collins had a quiet night in Game 4, but he could be in for a huge performance on Thursday night. With Giannis not playing, a huge hole is left at the power forward position in Milwaukee. This is a perfect opportunity for Collins to put the team on his shoulders and carry them through a pivotal Game 5 victory.
The Hawks should highly consider getting him going early and often, as it will apply pressure on the Bucks from the get-go. Milwaukee won't be nearly as stout in the paint with Giannis not available. Brook Lopez will be busy with Clint Capela, and it's not like Bobby Portis is much of a deterrent down low. If Collins has a big night, the Hawks could pull out with a lead in this series.
2. Bucks shoot 40+% from 3-point line
Milwaukee was awful from the 3-point line in Game 4 and must improve in order to to win on Thursday night. Shooting 20.9% from deep isn't going to cut it. Additionally, the Bucks lost their main scoring option down low, so Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday must step up and hit their shots. This might just be the Bucks' best chance of pulling out of Game 5 with a win.
Additionally, Trae Young is hurt and is a game-time decision. The Bucks have to take advantage of a hobbled Trae, as Milwaukee suddenly has the edge in the backcourt with him out. Lighting it up from deep hasn't been a normal aspect of this Bucks team in the playoffs (30.6%), but they need to find their regular-season shooting stroke (38.9%) to win.
3. Hawks take a 3-2 series lead
At the end of the night, the Hawks have better depth on their roster than the Bucks. They proved that in Game 4 when they dominated the Bucks with Trae Young sitting on the bench. Now with Antetokounmpo hurt and missing this game, the Hawks can really take advantage and give themselves a 3-2 lead in this series. Not only do they take a lead, but the Hawks would play Game 6 in Atlanta, where they'd have a chance to close out the series at home.
Follow Us
Subscribe