After a difficult Game 3 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Atlanta Hawks found their way into Game 4, despite their star guard, Trae Young, fractured his ankle on an officer's leg on Sunday. Was sidelined with injury. Lou Williams led all scorers as Atlanta claimed a 110-88 victory on Tuesday night, even leading up to the series.
The immediate focus after the game is on the health of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was out with a hyperextended left knee after an ugly fall in the second half. In his absence, Milwaukee struggled to find any rhythm on the offense, scoring only 36 points after leaving the game. For the Hawks' part, center Clint Capela went late in the fourth quarter after taking an elbow to the face, meaning the two players in Atlanta could be precarious for a decisive Game 5.
Do the Bucks have a shot at winning the series without Giannis? Can the Hawks continue to receive contributions from their core reserves? Here are five things our NBA experts took from Game 4.
Can the Bucks survive without Giannis?
The image of an NBA star in pain on hardwood is a frequent sight in 2021. The league saw another finish in the third quarter on Tuesday night in about five minutes when Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo challenged the Hawks to a gully-up lob. Clint Capella, center, landed awkwardly on his left foot and immediately fell to the floor under the basket.
Antetokounmpo, who averaged 40.6 minutes in each of the Bucks' last eight playoff games that came Tuesday night, was already hampered by a tightness in his left calf, which left him likely on injury reports for Games 3 and 4. was listed in.
Uncertainty about Antetokounmpo's availability will present a serious challenge for a Bucks team already with a starter (Donte DiVincenzo) and limited depth. In Milwaukee's reserve, Bobby Portis is the only big man to have played meaningful minutes. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton must direct a crime that is likely to stall if the Bucks are struggling from a distance.
Holiday is an excellent pick-and-roll player (18th point-in-point among 101 players with at least 500 pick-and-roll chances this season) who sees fewer opportunities as a point guard than He may have been into a more traditional offense. Whether it's working with Middleton or Brooke Lopez, Holiday has to harness that skill.
Middleton will need to embody the spirit of Game 4 of last year's conference semifinal against Miami, when he left Milwaukee on 36 points for their only win of the series after playing only 11 minutes past Antetokounmpo. We've seen glimpses of that Middleton, like in Milwaukee's recent Game 3 win when he scored 38 points. One of the deadliest high-degree-of-difficulty shot makers in the NBA, Middleton's ability to build nothing in a half-court offense with creative challenges will be significant.
The Bucks will have to create other sections of crime, whether it be Lopez in the post, perimeter actions that free Bryn Forbes or Pat Connaughton, or - hate as they usually do - victimize mismatches. Whatever the case, Antetokounmpo's absence will severely limit the Bucks' flexibility as 5-man units are hard to experiment with when the number of credible players has not exceeded that.
Not that Atlanta (minus Trey Young and DeAndre Hunter), the LA Clippers (minus Kawhi Leonard and his big two), the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn, Denver or the long list of Impact players who have been sidelined by this postseason, will provide consolation. Losing is the norm in the 2021 playoffs.
The utility of Lou Williams
In a season defined by injuries from star players, the Hawks were lucky to have Lou Williams make his first career playoff debut in place of Trae Young. In a casual deadline deal, Atlanta received Williams and two future second-round picks in exchange for Rajon Rondo, who was ineffective after signing with the Hawks as a free agent last fall.
That trade represented the Clippers' gamble that "playoff Rondo" would re-emerge in L.A. Instead, Rondo has been out of rotation for each of the previous two rounds. After playing 35 minutes on Tuesday, Williams has now seen more action than Rondo in the playoffs.
Atlanta is thrilled Williams has reconsidered the business after considering retirement. Without Young, the Hawks badly needed Williams' ability to make their shot. He set the tone, scoring seven points in more than the first five minutes as Atlanta took a 15–5 lead, with a super-skilled 21 on 7-of-9 shooting in addition to providing eight assists. Finished - three on Young-esque lobs to Clint Capella - with just one turnover.
At this point in his career, Williams is no match for Young as a shooter and distributor. However, for one night, he was the required student for Atlanta.
Middleton? Paging Khris Middleton?
Does Khris Middleton have that magic of Game 3? Milwaukee definitely needs the rest of this series.
He had a stellar performance in the Bucks' win in Atlanta on Sunday, scoring 20 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter. But Middleton hasn't made much of an impact in the rest of the former finals, averaging 15.3 points on 34% shooting in the other three games, two of which Milwaukee lost.
If that doesn't change, it's hard to see the Bucks beat the Hawks - assuming Antetokounmpo will either be sidelined or well below 100% for the rest of the series.
Middleton has played at superstar level several times since this season, scoring 35 or more points in three games, recording double-doubles on each occasion. However, the two-time All-Star had an MVP-caliber running mate in those three wins, all 30-point, 10-rebound performances by Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks never saw Middleton as their No. 1 offensive option, not even when he signed his $177.5 million deal. But now this is what they want.
Bogi stepping up
Thirteen days ago, Hawks forward Bogdan Bogdanovic started feeling pain in his right knee. The fourth-year sharpshooter, prior to injury, was a key force in the Hawks' explosive offense, averaging 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3 assists in over 37 minutes per game.
In the next five matches? Only 6.2 points when shooting 25.5% from the floor and 5-in-26 from deep.
On Tuesday night, it was the Bogdanovic of old. In the first three games against the Bucks, the 6-foot-6 guard had a combined 20 points. He matched that total Tuesday night, hitting six 3-pointers that included five assists, four steals, three rebounds.
Atlanta improved 3–0 in the playoffs when Bogdanovic scored at least 20 points – and they were 13–7 in such games during the regular season.
If Young is able to return to the lineup in Game 5 and Bogdanovic can continue to play at the level he was at before his knee injury, Atlanta's postseason dreams take on a rosier outlook.
Atlanta just might have more X-factors
If there's one thing these attrition-driven playoffs have to shine through, it's that having a deep roster could be the ultimate X-factor. As star players go down, the game is being changed to role-playing and complementary pieces.
For the Hawks, he got a boost in the series with the return of second-year-old Wing Cam Radish, who scored 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and added 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and defense over Kris Middleton in his second game since February 21. Makes theft in 23 efficient minutes.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is returning to health, with his shooting receiving a considerable offensive boost. Chris Dunn saw time at backup point guard after DNP in the series, suddenly playing spot-minutes behind starter Lou Williams.
With the oddities of the season, the grind of the schedule has left teams to find alternatives. The Bucks will now make a big discovery with the injury to Giannis, with the offense leaning more towards Middleton, but need help from other sources as well.
Every playoff series features players who step up and warm up. This is usually for one game, maybe two. Now, with injuries piling up, the X-factors may be the collective primary option — and Atlanta may have more of them than Milwaukee.