Adam Hagy/NBAE by technique of Getty Photos
The Milwaukee Bucks earned a 120-109 road place over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday at Reveal Farm Enviornment.
Reigning again-to-again NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the court after lacking six straight video games with left knee soreness. He had 15 aspects on 7-of-12 taking pictures, 5 rebounds and three steals in 25 minutes.
Hawks level guard and leading scorer Trae Young returned after lacking two video games with a bruised left calf. He went scoreless within the principle half of sooner than finishing the recreation with 15 aspects on 3-of-17 taking pictures.
Milwaukee used a 16-2 bustle that spanned the tip of the third quarter and the muse of the fourth to help turn a itsy-bitsy 82-80 edge accurate into a 98-82 lead. The Bucks never led by fewer than eight aspects for the the leisure of the recreation.
The Bucks clearly obtained the battle of the 2d objects on tonight, with Milwaukee reserves scoring 44 aspects to Atlanta bench avid gamers’ 16. Seven Bucks scored in double digits, led by Jrue Vacation’s 23.
The Hawks remained without John Collins (left ankle sprain), De’Andre Hunter (appropriate knee soreness) and Cam Reddish (appropriate Achilles soreness). Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic paced all scorers with 28 aspects (10-of-20 total, 6-of-12 three-level taking pictures).
The 35-20 Bucks occupy obtained three straight video games, and the 30-26 Hawks’ three-recreation place go ended with the defeat.
Well-known Performances
Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo: 15 aspects, 5 rebounds, 3 steals
Bucks G/F Khris Middleton: 10 aspects, 9 rebounds, 7 assists
Bucks G Jrue Vacation: 23 aspects, 7 assists, 4 rebounds
Bucks C Brook Lopez: 19 aspects, 12 rebounds
Hawks G Trae Young: 15 aspects, 9 assists
Hawks C Clint Capela: 16 aspects, 16 rebounds
Hawks G Bogdan Bogdanovic: 28 aspects, 7 assists, 6 rebounds
Hawks F Kevin Huerter: 16 aspects, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Giannis Returns, Bucks Roll
Antetokounmpo didn’t post gaudy statistics in his return as he on occasion does, however the Bucks soundless cruised en route to a slightly happy 11-level road place.
The 2-time NBA MVP didn’t look critically rusty, even supposing, love when he took appropriate two dribbles from half of court to the hoop for an early layup:
Giannis hit his first three shots, collectively with this slithering layup between Hawks forward Solomon Hill and immense man Clint Capela:
Giannis did some work outside of the paint, even supposing, as he knocked down a three-pointer with Hill in his face:
Antetokounmpo didn’t put the team of workers on his again, but he didn’t wish to on tonight with the Bucks’ 2d unit doing so neatly.
He most effective performed 25 minutes in his return and change into once in a position to leisure at the tip of the recreation with the recreation neatly within the Bucks’ protect watch over.
Overall, the night couldn’t occupy long gone powerful better for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks as they welcomed again their essential individual en route to making a bustle at the Japanese Conference’s No. 1 seed.
Young, Hawks’ Second Unit Fight in Defeat
Young’s return to the court did now not dash besides Antetokounmpo’s, as he overlooked all six of his first-half of area desires and didn’t ranking till there change into once 6: 40 last within the third quarter.
It seemed that bucket, which preceded a free throw to complete a three-level play, would result in Young turning his recreation around. He in the end scored nine aspects in a 3: 09 span to help pull the Hawks within 82-80 gradual within the third quarter.
That wasn’t meant to be, even supposing. Young’s shot didn’t topple, and turnovers were a consistent misfortune, with the ex-Oklahoma essential individual committing six on the night.
Or now not it’s now not too powerful to be angry by. Optimistic, Young struggled, but he also overlooked 5 shots within 12 feet of the hoop within the principle half of and eight total. He’s simply now not going 0-for-whatever on most nights from that distance.
Off the bench, the Hawks’ reserves could per chance now not rep powerful going.
Hawks guard Lou Williams achieved with a minus-27. Nathan Knight overlooked all 5 of his area desires, and Brandon Goodwin performed 10 scoreless minutes. Rookie middle Onyeka Okongwu scored eight aspects in nine minutes, but he also had three fouls. The Bucks outscored the Hawks by in any case 10 aspects with every of these avid gamers on the flooring.
On the diversified pause, the Bucks reserves were menaces all night, with Pat Connaughton notably finishing at plus-21 and Jeff Teague ending at plus-18. These two plus Bobby Portis and P.J. Tucker, who made up the four most essential Bucks reserves, mixed for 44 aspects, 20 rebounds and eight assists.
It wasn’t a accurate night for the Hawks, but they can hold solace within the truth that they are soundless 16-6 below head coach Nate MacMillan and a seemingly shoo-in for the Japanese Conference playoffs thanks to their efforts all the plot thru the last few months following a 14-20 begin.
What’s Subsequent?
Milwaukee will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday in Fiserv Dialogue board at 9 p.m. ET. Atlanta will welcome the Indiana Pacers into town on Sunday at 1 p.m.
