Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks Date and Time: Wednesday, June 30,2021 8:30 am Venue: Fiserv Forum Prediction: Atlanta Hawks Bookmaker: 1xbet
Will this magical run by the Atlanta Hawks end here in the NBA playoffs, or will Trae Young & Co. pull off yet another upset against the Milwaukee Bucks?
It’s an Eastern Conference matchup no one predicted, with the upstart Hawks famously 14-20 before naming Nate McMillan the interim head coach and jump-starting their run to the playoffs taking on two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who needed overtime in Game 7 to overcome the Brooklyn Nets.
The Bucks spent the past seven months building up to the point where, when they got into the crucible of a tough playoff series, they would have the means to walk out the other side victorious.
They traded for point guard Jrue Holiday in the offseason and P.J. Tucker at the deadline, adding defensive versatility and toughness. They spent the season experimenting more with different lineups and styles to have different options to throw at opponents in the postseason.
And, ultimately, Milwaukee finds itself hosting Atlanta on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals because it proved to have just enough to do that.
It took every ounce of what the Bucks had plus some key injuries to the Nets, and Kevin Durant wearing a shoe an extra size too big for Milwaukee to escape from its heart-stopping Eastern Conference semifinal series against Brooklyn, winning Game 7 on the road in overtime Saturday night.
Things looked as if they might be entirely different for the Bucks this season when, after surviving another overtime thriller to begin the playoffs with a victory over the Miami Heat the team that humbled them in the NBA’s bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort last summer, Milwaukee clobbered Miami over the next three games to sweep the Heat out of the playoffs.
It was a dominant performance, and unexpectedly so, given the Heat were a popular upset pick. But it gave Milwaukee plenty of momentum going into its series with Brooklyn.
