Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals took place on Wednesday night between the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. Atlanta took an early 1-0 lead in the series after stealing a win on the road. Trae Young was unstoppable as he recorded 48 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. His teammates stepped up as well, giving the Hawks the boost they needed to win the game.
The Bucks played well in the first half but lost control in the third quarter. Giannis Antetokoumpo had a great game, finishing the night with 34 points, 9 assists, and 12 rebounds. Jrue Holiday came up big as well, dropping 33 points and 10 assists himself. However, Khris Middleton had a quiet evening, which hurt Milwaukee more than it helped.
The Hawks have been giant killers throughout this postseason and look to earn a trip to the NBA Finals. The Bucks have the talent to get back on track though, but they'll need to make a few adjustments for Game 2. Milwaukee played well, but making some key changes to their game plan should give them the edge over Atlanta. With that said, here are three adjustments the Bucks must make for Game 2 against the Hawks.
Improve the three-point shooting
Milwaukee shot an abysmal 22.2% from the three-point line. That is way below their yearly average, as they typically shoot 38.9% from deep (top five in the league). They couldn't get it going from beyond the arc all night, which could have been the difference-maker down the stretch. Atlanta shot well below their yearly average too, so had the Bucks produced average three-point shooting, they likely would have won Game 1.
Look for the Bucks to start making more three-point shots in the next matchup. They dominated in the paint (scoring-wise) in Game 1, so improving the deep ball should be enough to overcome the Hawks in Game 2. Milwaukee should be planning to find Khris Middleton, PJ Tucker, and Jrue Holiday more open shots.
Get Khris Middleton going early
He ended the evening with 15 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds. Not the worst night, but based on how he's played this postseason, Middleton underperformed to start this series. It's been the Giannis and Middleton show in Milwaukee, but for whatever reason, the Bucks shooting guard couldn't get it going in this one.
Middleton should bounce back and give the Bucks the boost they need to bring the series to 1-1. Now, if Middleton can go out and drop 30 alongside Antetokoumpo, and Holiday scores 25+ as he did in Game 1, then the Bucks should be able to overcome the Hawks.
Find a way to slow down Trae Young
The first thought you probably had after reading this third adjustment was “Good luck with that.” Trae Young has been phenomenal this postseason and has emerged as a superstar in the NBA. In Game 1, Young did whatever he wanted, finding the open man, creating space on the floor, and lighting up the scoreboard. He even out-rebounded Brook Lopez, giving the Hawks a boost in rebounds.
The Bucks have to put their best defender on Trae Young and fight through the screens. Jrue Holiday is a great defender, but the Bucks may have to consider double-teaming or trapping him. Finding a way to get the ball out of his hands should be priority number one whenever the Bucks are on defense. Otherwise, Atlanta will stay in this series and possibly defeat Milwaukee.
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