The Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks are just hours away from tip-off in Game 1 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.
It has been a memorable road for both teams throughout the first two rounds of these playoffs, and they will clash in more must-see action tonight at Fiserv Forum. Among the many things that the fans are anticipating in this interesting seven-game series, the handful of individual matchups afoot are certainly near the top of the list of intrigue.
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Both teams boast an adequate amount of star power without question, and piecing together the most fitting matchups will be interesting from a strategic standpoint with a trip to the NBA Finals hanging in the balance.
Taking a look back at how several key matchups played out during the three regular season meetings between these two teams, here are the three most crucial matchups to watch in the ECF.
Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks matchups: Jrue Holiday vs. Trae Young
This is the one-on-one matchup that most people have found themselves discussing leading up this series between the Bucks and Hawks.
Jrue Holiday’s defensive excellence needs little introduction as he added a third All-Defensive nod to his resume this year after being selected to the First Team. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s Trae Young is a high-octane scorer who has been turning heads in his playoff debut up until this point with his team landing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Young played just one regular season game versus the Bucks this year, leaving the sample size between him and Holiday minimal. Yet, in that one matchup, Holiday undoubtedly got the upper hand as he held Young scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting while also forcing five turnovers when the pair were matched up, according to NBA.com/stats. Holiday’s dominance in their lone meeting this season does not guarantee success this time around on a much bigger stage.
The 22-year-old phenom has been scorching hot to start these playoffs by averaging 29.1 points and 10.4 assists over 12 games. As outstanding as Holiday is on the defensive end, he will have a full plate trying to slow down this ascending young star. Holiday’s robust defense must outduel Young’s stellar offense, and it will be thrilling to see these two professionals go back and forth.