Milwaukee Bucks

The Atlanta Hawks evened their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Milwaukee Bucks at two games apiece after defeating the visitors 110-88 at State Farm Arena on Tuesday.

The Hawks dominated for all four quarters, but the game was marred by a scary injury suffered by Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who departed the game with a left knee hyperextension in the third quarter.

He was helped off the court by his brother, Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and other staff members.

Giannis appears to have injured his leg.

Prayers up 🙏 https://t.co/cHZXCIsBEd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2021

Thanasis helped Giannis to the locker room 🙏 https://t.co/R01kfUnTUD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2021

The shorthanded Hawks, who were without star guard Trae Young due to a bone bruise in his right foot, led 62-52 with 7:14 left in the third quarter at the time of Antetokounmpo's injury.

Following a floater from Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, the Hawks responded with a 15-0 run that included a trio of Bogdan Bogdanovic three-pointers to give themselves a 77-54 edge. Atlanta led by 19 or more for the remainder of the game.

Lou Williams, who entered the starting lineup for Young, scored 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting (5-of-6 from the foul line). He led six players who scored 10 or more, including Bogdanovic with 18 on six three-pointers.

Milwaukee is looking for its first NBA Finals appearance since 1974. The Hawks haven't been to the championship round since 1961, when they were based in St. Louis.

    

Notable Performances

Hawks G Lou Williams: 21 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds

Hawks G Bogdan Bogdanovic: 20 points, 5 assists, 4 steals

Hawks G Kevin Huerter: 15 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds

Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo: 14 points, 8 rebounds

Bucks F Khris Middleton: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Bucks G Jrue Holiday: 19 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds

    

Lou Williams Saves the Day

The three-time Sixth Man of the Year hadn't seen much action in this season's playoffs before Tuesday, averaging 6.5 points in 13.0 minutes per game. He only played more than 18 minutes in a game once in this entire postseason.

That all changed Tuesday as head coach Nate McMillan opted to start Williams for Young as the shorthanded team faced difficult odds to take down the Bucks.

Williams flipped the script, though, propelling the Hawks to a huge win that not only knotted the series but forced an eventual return to Atlanta for Game 6.

The veteran got Atlanta off to a great start, scoring seven points in a 15-5 game-opening run. He capped that effort with a three-pointer over Bucks forward Khris Middleton:

Lou buckets 👀 pic.twitter.com/FiiKtok2fd

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 30, 2021

  

He went back to work in the second quarter, finding rookie center Onyeka Okongwu with an early dunk:

That vet to rook connection. pic.twitter.com/KeJDjpPR22

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 30, 2021

However, Williams' biggest play came on a five-point swing near the end of the frame.

Middleton missed a three-pointer that would have cut the Hawks' lead to six. Instead, Williams corralled the long rebound and took care of business himself by hitting a jumper over Antetokounmpo, giving the Hawks a 47-36 edge:

Fearless. pic.twitter.com/UsXAltUWNW

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 30, 2021

He finished the first half with 13 points.

https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1410051846161330180

It was the Williams and Bogdanovic show in the third quarter. Williams had six points and four assists, knocking down a clutch three to give Atlanta a 60-50 advantage:

Feed the hot hand 🔥 pic.twitter.com/H0flVRNeuG

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 30, 2021

Williams expertly guided the offense, though, finding Bogdanovic on multiple occasions for threes:

YESSSSSSSIR‼️ pic.twitter.com/CWL08mv7wN

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 30, 2021

https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1410058174267232256

Williams set off the good vibes in State Farm Arena, to the point where Clint Capela even hit this circus shot over the backboard:

HOW?!?!? 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ebjZdo2WR6

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 30, 2021

With that, the Hawks rolled to the win and moved two victories away from the NBA Finals.

    

Giannis Injured as Bucks Blown Out

Obviously, everything else that happened to the Bucks on Tuesday pales in comparison to the health and wellness of Antetokounmpo.

Injuries have unfortunately been commonplace this entire season, but it's especially been the case during the playoffs, to the point where some All-Star teams can be formed with the players forced to miss time:

NBA All-Star teams this season

West:
Chris Paul
Mike Conley
Donovan Mitchell
Kawhi Leonard
Anthony Davis

East:
James Harden
Kyrie Irving
Jaylen Brown
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Joel Embiid

That’s actually the list of injured All-Stars this playoffs 😭 pic.twitter.com/Vx8lZqylEc

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 30, 2021

Past the first round, every single playoff team has had an injury to their best or 2nd best player.

76ers: Embiid
Nets: Harden/Kyrie
Clippers: Kawhi
Suns: Chris Paul
Jazz: Mitchell
Nuggets: Murray
Hawks: Trae
Bucks: Giannis pic.twitter.com/3PrLuE8Jlo

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 30, 2021

The hope is that Antetokounmpo (and Young) can come back for Game 5 as the two teams fight closer to full strength.

On the Bucks' end, Antetokounmpo is clearly very difficult to replace:

Players with 25 PPG, 10 RPG, 5 APG, 50 FG% in a single playoff run (min 15 games):

— Larry Bird
— LeBron James
— Giannis Antetokounmpo

Hoping he avoided serious injury. pic.twitter.com/SQYvoxXdqz

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 30, 2021

Milwaukee wasn't playing well on either end before Antetokounmpo's injury, but the Bucks weren't out of it either down just 10 points with 19-plus minutes left in the game.

However, Milwaukee couldn't recover after he left, and Atlanta outscored the Bucks by 12 for the remainder of the game. The Bucks even waved the white flag and cleared out the bench with four minutes remaining.

The playoffs have been rough on stars, and that's continued to be the case.

In the Western Conference Finals, Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul missed Games 1 and 2 due to COVID-19 protocols, and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been out all series with a right knee sprain.

start a petition that we pause the playoffs until trae and giannis and kawhi are okay

— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) June 30, 2021

It's at the point where an unfortunate record has been set, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.

A record nine All-Stars have already missed at least one game in these playoffs.

Trae Young (ankle) missed out on that designation this season so did not officially add to that total.

Neither Young's nor Giannis' status, obviously, is yet known for Game 5 Thursday in Milwaukee.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 30, 2021

Ultimately, this was a night for the Bucks to forget, but from a broader standpoint, another NBA star was forced to miss time with an injury.

Perhaps Antetokounmpo is fine and returns to Game 5, but his ailment is another reminder of the bleak nature of this year's playoffs.

What's Next?

Milwaukee will host Game 5 on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Fiserv Forum.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was helped off the court in the second half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals after suffering a left knee injury. 

Replays showed his leg bending in an unnatural way as he jumped near the basket. The Bucks ultimately ruled him out for the remainder of the game with a hyperextended knee, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Giannis appears to have injured his leg.

Prayers up 🙏 https://t.co/cHZXCIsBEd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2021

After the game, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters he didn't have an update on his star player's injury, saying "we'll see how he is tomorrow." Malika Andrews of ESPN reported Antetokounmpo would have further imaging on the knee on Wednesday. Farbod Esnaashari of Sports Illustrated reported sources within the Bucks organization fear Giannis suffered a "severe ACL injury."

Even though there's been no indication in his performance of any physical issues, Budenholzer told reporters prior to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals that Antetokounmpo has been dealing with tightness in his calf. 

Budenholzer was able to play Antetokounmpo 41 minutes in Milwaukee's 113-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks on June 27. He finished the game with 33 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. 

Antetokounmpo missed 11 games during the regular season, including six straight from April 3-14 with a sprained left knee. The two-time NBA MVP has been fantastic this postseason, averaging 29.2 points on 54.6 percent shooting and 13.0 rebounds in 14 starts.

The Bucks have a deep well of talent around Antetokounmpo, but everything they do on both ends of the floor runs through the five-time All-Star. His absence will likely increase the playing time for veteran forward Bobby Portis.

Giannis Antetokounmpo loves him some Khris Middleton. 

And for good reason. Middleton was superb in Milwaukee's 113-102 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night, scoring 20 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter. 

Afterward, the Greek Freak had nothing but praise for his teammate:

Giannis — full of praise for Khris Middleton’s 4th Q — says he and Khris were chatting about how long they planned to play for. Giannis said he told Khris: “The day you retire is going to be the toughest day of my career.”

“He’s special for a reason and he showed it tonight.”

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 28, 2021

"It was freaking unbelievable," Antetokounmpo added of Middleton's fourth quarter. "Carried the team at the end. He turned the ball over like two times and after that he was locked in. Like, 'Pass me the ball,' and we gave him the ball. ... We know when to set screens for him, we know when he wants the ball, and that was the moment. We were like, 'Get the hell out of the way, get him the ball, take us home Khris.' And that's what he did."

“What I saw today was unbelievable. For me, it was greatness. Simple as that.”

Giannis on Middleton’s Game 3 performance. https://t.co/UuW6KN4Ido

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 28, 2021

Middleton was indeed excellent, shooting 15-of-26 from the floor and 6-of-12 from three. For good measure, he added 11 rebounds and seven assists. 

The Bucks go as Middleton goes. In this year's playoffs they are 7-1 when Middleton scores 20 or more points and just 3-3 when he fails to hit the 20-point mark. 

He was one of Game 3's major storylines. The other was Trae Young, who injured his right ankle late in the third quarter after accidentally stepping on an official's foot. 

Trae Young heads to the locker room with an apparent ankle injury

Prayers up 🙏 https://t.co/KqbwUuUHMr

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 28, 2021

When he left the game, the Hawks were up 85-82. While he would eventually return in the fourth quarter, he was clearly hobbled and Milwaukee took advantage, outscoring the Hawks 31-17 following the injury. 

If Young is hobbled the rest of the series or unable to play, the Hawks are in serious trouble. They simply can't replace the 29.4 points and 9.9 assists Young has been averaging in the postseason. He's been ascendant. 

But on Sunday night, at least, Middleton's star shone brightest. 

Two weeks ago, the Milwaukee Bucks were a game away from elimination and Mike Budenholzer's job was on the line.

Now, they're two games away from the NBA Finals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and Khris Middleton added 38, as the Bucks scored a 113-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Bucks hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. 

Trae Young scored 35 to lead the Hawks, but no other Atlanta starter had more than 13 points.

Notable Stats

Bucks

F Giannis Antetokounmpo: 33 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists
F Khris Middleton: 38 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists

Hawks

G Trae Young: 35 points, 4 assists

Khris Middleton Exorcising Playoff Demons

Milwaukee fell short in two successive postseasons as Antetokounmpo's supporting cast, which includes Middleton, failed to provide enough support to push the team over the hump.

With the offseason acquisition of Jrue Holiday, the Bucks added someone they thought could better fill that role. But on Sunday night, Middleton looked more than capable of playing the role of the second star alongside Antetokounmpo.

In Game 3, Middleton scorched the back of the net, stepped into the spotlight and perhaps exorcised those postseason demons once and for all. Twenty of his 38 points came in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a run where he scored eight of Milwaukee's 10 points as the Bucks went from down seven to up three with 5:13 remaining.

This performance can be added to his 38-point effort in Game 6 and 35-point night in Game 3 against Brooklyn as moments he's come up huge when the Bucks needed him most in this playoff run. He also hit a game-winner in overtime against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the first round and hit the winning bucket, also in overtime, against the Nets in Round 2.

Middleton hasn't always been the type of star who can put together these performances every night.

His 6-of-23 outing in Game 1 can attest to that. But that's fine now. Middleton can be brilliant on some nights, shaky on others—and Holiday's hopefully going to be able to pick up the slack on nights where he can't quite fit the bill.

There wasn't any question where the second-in-command performance was coming from Sunday, though. 

Trae Can't Do It Alone...

...even though he can get pretty close. Young atoned for his ugly Game 2 effort with a brilliant scoring performance in Game 3, but the fact he finished with just four assists should tell you all you need to know about his supporting cast. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic, playing through a knee injury, has been dealing with some struggles lately. Bogdanovic shot 3-of-16 from the floor, leaving him at a robust 28.3 percent. He hasn't scored more than eight points since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

John Collins was 6-of-8 from the floor but spent all night in foul trouble. With Lou Williams failing to provide a prolonged spark off the bench in 18 minutes and Kevin Huerter putting together an average effort from beyond the arc, Young had nowhere to turn but himself when it came to scoring.

These Hawks have played a Young-centric style all season, yes, but their playoff run has been defined by the role players stepping up. Two straight games, they've failed in that task. 

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will play in Sunday's Game 3 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks despite dealing with a calf injury.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters Antetokounmpo is undergoing treatment but is expected to be "fine." He has been listed as probable on the injury report.

It's unclear when Antetokounmpo suffered the injury. He had 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 29 minutes in Milwaukee's Game 2 victory. 

The two-time reigning MVP has missed time with occasional injuries this season but has not been absent for long. He's played in 74 of the Bucks' 85 games this season (regular season and playoffs) and is averaging 28.9 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists during the postseason. 

The Bucks cannot make the Finals without Antetokounmpo in the lineup, so his health will be paramount for the remainder of the series.

Milwaukee Bucks stars Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton aren't thinking about the Olympics as their team continues to make a run in the NBA playoffs. 

Speaking to reporters about his commitment to Team USA, Middleton explained how he balances his focus right now

"We're in the middle of a championship run," he said. "To take a second to think about something outside of this season, it was a little tough to think about it. But it was an easy decision for me to go ahead and commit."

Holiday noted that he's very good at staying focused on the moment without looking ahead. 

"I think I'm always focused on the immediate, what's happening right now. That's been my main focus, and it's going to continue to be that," Holiday said. "If we go the Finals or whatever happens, up until that point, this is what matters."

The Bucks duo was among the 12 players who made the final roster for Team USA's men's basketball squad for the Tokyo Games. 

Team USA's 12-man roster for the Tokyo Olympics:

Kevin Durant
Damian Lillard
Bradley Beal
Jayson Tatum
Devin Booker
Zach LaVine
Kevin Love
Bam Adebayo
Draymond Green
Jrue Holiday
Khris Middleton
Jerami Grant

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2021

This will mark the first Olympics appearance for both players, but they are currently mired in the Bucks' postseason push. 

Middleton and Holiday certainly didn't seem like they were thinking about anything else during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday night. They combined for 37 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds in Milwaukee's 125-91 win over the Atlanta Hawks to even the series at 1-1. 

Depending on how far the Bucks advance in the playoffs, Holiday and Middleton could have very little down time before traveling to Tokyo for the Olympics. The NBA Finals won't begin until after July 1, and they were pencilled in to start July 8 in November, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The men's basketball tournament at the 2020 Olympics is scheduled to run from July 24 to Aug. 8. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo's extensive setup routine on free-throw attempts has been an ongoing storyline this postseason, but the Milwaukee Bucks star got away with two 10-second violations late in Wednesday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, the NBA's last-two minute report from the game showed Antetokounmpo should have been called for violations on each of his two free-throw attempts with 5.3 seconds remaining. 

Antetokounmpo made both of his attempts to cut the Bucks' deficit to one point, but they would ultimately lose 116-113. 

The 10-second violation has been following Antetokounmpo around all postseason. His first one came in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Miami Heat. 

Milwaukee held a 97-96 lead with 1:06 remaining in the fourth quarter when the officials called Antetokounmpo for a violation before he attempted a second free throw. 

Miami tied the score at 99 on a Jimmy Butler layup as time expired to force overtime. The Bucks would go on to win the game and eventually sweep the Heat, but the call established a precedent that everyone has kept a close eye on. 

During the Bucks' second-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, fans at the Barclays Center regularly counted beyond 10 in an attempt to distract Antetokounmpo. He was called for a violation in the second quarter of Game 3, though that game was played on Milwaukee's home floor. 

Giannis was called for a 10-second violation at the free-throw line. pic.twitter.com/tTlRWxtmnI

— ESPN (@espn) June 11, 2021

Free-throw shooting is not a strength of Antetokounmpo's game. Since making a career-high 77 percent of his attempts during the 2016-17 season, the two-time NBA MVP has only connected 70.3 percent of the time from the charity stripe. 

In 12 games this postseason, Antetokounmpo is only making 55.4 percent of his free throws on 8.4 attempts per contest. 

The issues haven't significantly hurt the Bucks thus far, considering they are still playing and are just one round away from reaching the NBA Finals. But Antetokounmpo could end up making a costly mistake if the issue persists. 

Milwaukee Bucks president Peter Feigin has responded to shots taken at the city of Milwaukee on Tuesday's episode of ESPN's First Take.

During a discussion about the NBA playoffs, Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman, Molly Qerim Rose and Damien Woody discussed the possible NBA Finals locales.

Woody asked Smith, "Do you really want to be in Milwaukee?" Smith replied with a negative shake of the head, followed by, "Hell no!"

Qerim Rose later referred to Milwaukee and Phoenix as "terrible cities."

On Wednesday, Feigin released a statement via the Bucks' official Twitter account in which he defended the Wisconsin city:

Dear @FirstTake, pic.twitter.com/3CR4PB9LjS

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 23, 2021

Feigin also invited the First Take hosts to take a tour of Milwaukee in order to potentially change their outlook.

Smith noted that he was pulling hard for the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers in their respective series against the Bucks and Phoenix Suns so he could avoid having to travel to Milwaukee or Phoenix.

The Suns are out to a 2-0 series lead over the Clippers in the Western Conference Finals after their dramatic Game 2 win on Tuesday thanks to a Deandre Ayton tip-in as time expired, while the Bucks and Hawks are set to begin the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday.

Several big-market teams have been eliminated throughout the playoffs, including the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.

Phoenix is favored to reach the NBA Finals by virtue of its 2-0 series lead, while the Bucks are heavy favorites over an upstart Hawks team that wasn't expected to make it this far.

Regardless of the cities in which they play, there is a lot to like when it comes to the Suns and Bucks strictly from a basketball perspective.

The Suns are led by Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Ayton, and they are in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. With two more wins, they will go to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993 and vie for their first NBA championship.

Meanwhile, the Bucks are led by two-time NBA MVP and international superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they are in search of their first title since 1971.

With so many of the same teams dominating the NBA in recent years, having four relatively fresh teams in the conference finals can be viewed as a welcomed change of pace.

The Milwaukee Bucks saved their season, and most likely Mike Budenholzer’s job, with a Game 7 win over the Brooklyn Nets. He was coaching to save it entering the playoffs, and according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, getting to the conference finals may have bought the head coach another year.

However, things change quickly in the NBA these days. If the Bucks advance, they’ll make their first Finals since the 1973-74 season. Only the Atlanta Hawks stand in their way, and this is Milwaukee’s best shot to win a title during Budenholzer’s tenure. But losing to the 5 seed and, just as importantly, watching the Bucks head coach fall into his old postseason traps (against his old team no less) would make that Nets series feel like a distant memory. 

We’ve been here before. Budenholzer’s job might be secure today, but a loss in the conference finals might heat his seat back up. 

              

A 3-Year Journey

Before Budenholzer arrived in Milwaukee in 2018, the Bucks had made the playoffs two years in a row and for a third time in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first five seasons. The team was trending in a positive direction and showed promise with a rising star. But Jason Kidd was believed to have hit his ceiling as a coach in Milwaukee.  

The hiring of Budenholzer raised the Bucks’ floor and, in hope, their ceiling. Budenholzer showed immediate results in Year 1. Milwaukee finished first in defensive rating (104.9), fourth in offensive rating (113.5) and first in net rating (8.6). The team’s pace jumped from 97.03 to 103.57. With the improvements came the franchise’s first 60-win season since 1980-81.

Heading into their first playoffs under Budenholzer, the Bucks were favorites to come out of the East with both the league’s best record and the MVP on their side. (Antetokounmpo was the first Buck since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1974 to win the award.) 

After breezing through the first two rounds, with a sweep of Detroit and a gentleman’s sweep of Boston, Milwaukee got off to another strong start against the Toronto Raptors. It looked as if the team was destined to walk to the Finals when it went up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, but things went south once the Bucks headed up North. 

              

Signs of Trouble

Everything turned when the Bucks dropped Game 3 in double-overtime. From there they lost the following three games, and the series exposed Budenholzer’s lack of adjustments, a similar criticism during his run with the Hawks.  

Budenholzer failed to react to Fred VanVleet catching fire and he was too cautious with Antetokounmpo’s minutes. Just by comparison, Kawhi Leonard played a total of 248 minutes to Antetokounmpo’s 231 minutes. 

The following season all eyes were on the Bucks. They responded in a big way going 56-17 with the year cut short by COVID. They had a better net rating than the previous year (9.4) but kept playing the same style.

The real question was what would happen in the playoffs. Would they change their style if they ran into the wrong team? 

The NBA season resumed in a bubble, and the Bucks got past the Orlando Magic in five games. But a hungry Miami Heat team was waiting in the second round where Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo ran into a wall, literally. 

The Heat consistently built a wall against Antetokounmpo (held to 21.8 PPG) when he drove into the paint. The Heat eliminated the Bucks 4-1, Antetokounmpo averaged only 21.8 points in the series and the theme of Budenholzer making zero adjustments held true. 

After another disappointing exit, there was speculation the head coach could be out of Milwaukee. Instead, the Bucks opted for a roster overhaul. They brought in Jrue Holiday from New Orleans for Eric Bledsoe and George Hill plus several draft picks. 

To Budenholzer’s credit, he did take a different approach to the 2020-21 season. Milwaukee experimented with more styles defensively and offensively, and Khris Middleton emerged as a legitimate playmaker in the pick-and-roll. But the team was in the same spot as the previous season, and it was going to be judged by success in the playoffs.

Round 1 offered a chance to exorcise past playoff demons against the Heat. After a thrilling Game 1 overtime win, the Bucks ran off three more victories to sweep Miami. But then came an entirely different challenge in the Brooklyn Nets. 

The Bucks entered the second-round series as +160 underdogs, according to FanDuel. Before the first minute elapsed in Game 1, James Harden re-aggravated his strained hamstring, making the Nets’ Big Three a duo. But it didn’t matter. 

Quickly down 0-2 heading back home, the Bucks looked like deer caught in the headlights.

             

The Biggest Test Yet

At this point, Budenholzer’s time with the team looked all but cooked. It wasn’t just that the team was down in the second round—everything was coming back to a lack of adjustments, and post-game responses like this after Game 2 added fuel to the fire:

Asked Mike Budenholzer, whether or not seeing Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving on pace to play 40-plus minutes has any impact on what he does with Giannis and his stars.

(Antetokounmpo would have played 38, if he went the whole way. Durant 41, Irving 46.)

His response: pic.twitter.com/MD9HdUFkRT

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) June 6, 2021

The Bucks turned things around by jumping out to a 21-point lead early in Game 3 during a 30-11 first quarter. After that, they never scored more than 22 points in a quarter but avoided falling 0-3 in the series with an 86-83 win, all before evening things up in Game 4 with a better offensive effort. 

Everything after Game 4 was trending in Milwaukee's direction. The Nets’ Big Three was whittled down to a Big One with Kyrie Irving's ankle injury. The Bucks built an early lead in Game 5 around good offense, ball movement and defense. But then in the second half, the offense went from team-oriented to isolation-heavy. Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday combined for 32 of Milwaukee’s 42 second-half shots.  

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant was putting together a masterpiece, going for 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists while playing the whole game. He was unstoppable—but the Bucks and Budenholzer were willing participants.

With Brook Lopez in the game, the Nets would target the center knowing his drop coverage would get Durant clean looks off of ball screens. After staying with Lopez too long, Budenholzer adjusted and brought in Pat Connaughton, but the Nets began targeting him next.

The Bucks were reluctant to send a double team Durant’s way when he had a mismatch after conceding switches too easily. Budenholzer stayed too long in coverages that were not working, and his late adjustment put the Bucks on the brink. 

Another source of criticism toward Budenholzer stemmed from Game 5 and how little the Bucks attacked Harden, who was clearly hobbled after coming back from his hamstring injury. For the series, Antetokounmpo went 8-of-31 from three, as the Nets laid way off him and gave up that shot. Antetokounmpo settling for threes and mid-range pull ups let Brooklyn’s defense off the hook. 

 

The Bucks also got away from their clutch offense. Down the stretch this season, the ball was often in Middleton’s hands. He led the team in clutch usage percentage at 31.4. It paid off in the Miami series when he hit the game-winning jumper in Game 1. But in Game 5’s clutch situation, Budenholzer went away from Middleton to Antetokounmpo isolations. 

That changed in Game 7 with Budenholzer going to Middleton on several key possessions at the end of the fourth and overtime, including what turned out to be the game winner. 

 

Milwaukee spent all season adjusting and playing with things. In Game 7, all of that experimenting came through in a big way. 

            

At a Crossroads

Milwaukee managed to survive its series against Brooklyn, but it certainly made it harder than it needed to be. 

Reports say making it to the conference finals was enough to save Budenholzer. However, the Bucks have been here before in the 2019 playoffs. Another failure in the conference finals could change things quickly for the head coach.   

It becomes even trickier for Budenholzer with a great candidate like Rick Carlisle now available. Prior to him leaving the Dallas Mavericks, there may not have been a clear-cut replacement, but now there is.  

Carlisle is a championship coach, having won it all in 2011, he is a well-regarded tactician and he created an offensive system around a unique talent with Dirk Nowitzki. If the Bucks’ job becomes open, Carlisle would be the immediate front runner to take over. 

If Budenholzer is slow to adjust, if Trae Young explodes offensively or if the Hawks’ defense forces Antetokounmpo to become a jump-shooter, it could cost Milwaukee this series. And that could cost this three-year head coach his job.  

A trip to the conference finals might have saved Budenholzer’s job, but a Finals run will surely solidify it.

            

Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo has nothing but respect for his counterpart ahead of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks.

"He is an amazing player," Antetokounmpo said Tuesday of Trae Young, per ESPN's Malika Andrews. "What he can do for his size…it's unbelievable. What he's done in a three-year span is unbelievable. He's got to keep getting better, keep believing in himself and the sky is the limit for him."

While Young has been a dangerous shooter and playmaker throughout his first three seasons in the league, he has ascended to a level of superstardom during these playoffs.

He torched the New York Knicks in the first round and then helped lead the Hawks past the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games in the second round. His mix of floaters in the lane, deep three-pointers and alley-oop lobs to Clint Capela and John Collins have been largely unstoppable, and he has the Hawks one series win away from the NBA Finals.

Young and Co. will have to go through Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who are fresh off their own seven-game victory over Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.

It won't be easy, but the Hawks point guard has already done enough to earn the respect of the two-time MVP.