Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory in critical Game 2 with Atlanta Hawks
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks did themselves no favors in their Game 1 loss against the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night.
Despite this opening matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals taking place on their home floor at Fiserv Forum, the Bucks seemingly lacked energy and urgency throughout. After 48 minutes of action where neither team’s largest lead reached double-digits, the Hawks earned a 116-113 win on the road to kick things off.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
Given how unmotivated the Bucks played, a three-point difference might not seem like the worst end result in the world. Yet, they had this game in their grasps in the final few minutes before seemingly losing control and letting yet another closely contested clutch contest slip away.
With Game 2 on the horizon tonight, hopefully the Bucks will come ready to play with some fire. In addition to that energy, here are three other keys to victory to even up the series.
Khris Middleton must flip the switch for the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks
The Bucks have weathered the storm regarding Khris Middleton’s recurring inconsistencies throughout the playoffs to this point.
There have been the highs, such as Middleton knocking down a game-winning jumper in overtime against the Heat in Game 1 and a clutch shot for the ages in Game 7 against the Nets. However, in addition to the good, there are also a handful of horrific performances like what the forward put together during Game 1 versus the Hawks. Middleton finished with 15 points on 6-of-23 shooting from the field, struggling mightily from start to finish to put the ball in the hoop. He also missed all nine of his 3-point attempts, including a game-tying jumper that would have added an extra five minutes of overtime.
It was a disheartening effort from Milwaukee’s two-time All-Star in the loss, heightened by the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday left everything on the floor. While Middleton was practically a liability with the basketball in his hands, those two were Milwaukee’s only source of consistent offense. It goes without saying that the Bucks will need the third member of their Big 3 to find his groove heading into a crucial Game 2.
Although these bad performances have occurred several times in these playoffs, Middleton has proven that he can bounce back as well. Hopefully he enters Game 2 with much more urgency and takes an aggressive approach early to try and assert himself early with some easy baskets. The Bucks will need him back up to par to bolster their chances of knotting this series 1-1 before hitting the road.