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The NBA Cup semifinals are set for the Easter Conference, as the Atlanta Hawks will be taking on the Milwaukee Bucks for a chance to play for the in-season championship. The Hawks are probably the most surprising team to get this far, but the way they've been playing the past three weeks, it shouldn't be a shock.
After putting on a masterclass in the second half against the New York Knicks in the semifinals, the Hawks are showing the rest of the league that they can compete with some of the best. The Bucks are the next team in their way, who made it to the semifinals of the tournament last season but lost to the Indiana Pacers.
The Hawks have a good chance of beating the Bucks, and here are a few reasons to think that they have the advantage over them heading into the semifinals.
The Hawks defense has stepped up
During this two-week stretch and their six-game winning streak, the Hawks have had one of the better defenses in the league. Dyson Daniels has led the group with his defense, picking up the team's best opposing player and making it hard for them every night, but the other wings on the Hawks have been good as well. Zaccharie Risacher, De'Andre Hunter, and Jalen Johnson have provided solid defense at the wing position for the Hawks, which have allowed them to switch and cause havoc.
Clint Capela has protected the paint, while Onyeka Okongwu's versatility allows him to defend on the perimeter at times. Not to mention, Trae Young has been active as well, which has been a plus for the Hawks.
focus on trae young throughout this defensive possession pic.twitter.com/RWWyT7yeek
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) December 13, 2024
The bench will be too much for Bucks
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In the Hawks' last eight games, their bench has outscored the opposing team's bench.
Bench points, ATL vs. opponent, last eight games:
62-28
50-28
47-37
52-29
50-31
65-17
43-35
𝟰𝟯-𝟭𝟰 (𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁)https://t.co/zWNurbGrdx— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) December 12, 2024
That has a lot to do with the resurgence of De'Andre Hunter and what he's been able to do as the sixth man for the Hawks. In his last five games, he's scored 20+ points, and when he plays well, the Hawks also play well. Not only has Hunter been big for the second unit, but Bogdan Bogdanovic and Onyeka Okongwu have had a good stretch of games, too.
When the Hawks and Bucks played each other recently, Hunter, Bogdanonvic, and Okongwu finished the game in double figures. Gary Trent Jr. was the only player who had double figures on the Bucks, and it's not certain if they can get much more production from their bench, especially with Khris Middleton still coming along slowly since returning.
Momentum from last matchup
The Hawks defeated the Bucks not so long ago on the road, and they dominated them throughout the game. Though it wasn't a great shooting night from either team, the Hawks were able to keep every player in check, not named Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetkounmpo. For most of the game, the Hawks outran, outrebounded, and outhustled the Bucks, which led them to win 119-104.
If the Hawks can keep that same momentum from that matchup and stick to the same game plan, it shouldn't be a surprise if they beat them again. The Bucks will be motivated coming into this game since they lost to the Hawks recently and lost in the semifinals last season. If it's anything the Hawks have shown us the past few weeks, they're resilient and can hang with anybody.
