Milwaukee Bucks: Grades from dominant Game 2 win over Atlanta Hawks

A+. Jrue Holiday followed up his phenomenal Game 1 performance with another top-notch effort. The guard finished with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor, including a highly desirable 3-of-4 from deep. After a treacherous shooting series against the Nets in the last round, it is certainly welcoming to see Holiday knock in his triples at an efficient rate. Furthermore, in addition to playing his share of robust defense, he dished out seven assists and logged a block and a steal each to cap off yet another productive night. Holiday has looked fantastic across the first two games in the Conference Finals, and hopefully he maintains that edge moving forward with an aggressive approach on both ends.. PG. Milwaukee Bucks. JRUE HOLIDAY

KHRIS MIDDLETON. B. Although it was not a heroic performance, Khris Middleton bounced back from his abysmal shooting effort in Game 1. This time around, the forward scored 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He is still looking for his 3-point shot at he was just 2-of-7 from deep, but he was solid from elsewhere on the floor. Continuing to display his playmaking, Middleton tallied eight assists on the evening. His distributing ability has been key throughout these playoffs, and he continues to make his presence felt in that area. Capped off by hauling in seven rebounds and grabbing a steal that turned into a memorable breakaway opportunity, Middleton had himself a respectable night, although those shooting splits could stand to be better.. SG. Milwaukee Bucks

B. Scoring just one point courtesy of the free throw line, P.J. Tucker’s impact in this contest was undeniably his hustle out on the floor. In addition to playing that robust defense that has made him a fan favorite in Milwaukee, Tucker brought the energy that had Fiserv Forum on their feet with his three steals tallied. Also notching seven rebounds – two of which came offensively to keep the play alive – the forward was enforcing his will on the glass, which was certainly a point of emphasis for the Bucks following their lackadaisical effort in Game 1. Lastly, he handed out three assists to finish off his stellar night. Tucker will never be known for his scoring, but he showed last night that he could impact the game in a handful of ways aside from putting the ball in the hoop.. SF. Milwaukee Bucks. P.J. TUCKER

A+. Giannis Antetokounmpo looked like a man on a mission last night with how he started this game. He was bullying his way to the basket whenever he could to put points on the board rather than settle for outside jumpers that the Hawks will take any day of the week. They had no answer for Milwaukee’s bulldozer as he dominated down low and racked up 25 points. Another eye-catching takeaway from Antetokounmpo is that he shot 3-of-4 from the charity stripe as he continues looking much more composed at the line in these two games. Antetokounmpo was on triple-double watch for a brief moment, but he ultimately finished with nine rebounds and six assists to go with two steals in this massive Milwaukee win. The biggest knock on his performance was his shot selection at particular points as he heaved three triples, all of which missed. Sure, it is fine to let it fly when the team is up in a blowout, but he had been imposing his will on the inside all throughout that point in the game. Still, the Bucks got the win, and he just wanted to get some shots up, but hopefully he sticks to that aggressive approach inside in the next game.. PF. Milwaukee Bucks. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

Milwaukee Bucks. BROOK LOPEZ. A+. After being benched early in Game 1 due to being torn apart by Trae Young, Brook Lopez bounced back in the best way possible last night. The big man looked far better on the defensive end and silenced those rumors that he should come off the bench or potentially not even see the floor during this series. The towering Lopez made things far more difficult for Young this time around and limited that floater that picked apart Milwaukee’s defense in Game 1. Offensively, it was a near-perfect game for him as he totaled 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor, including an impressive 3-of-4 from deep. You could not have scripted a better night from Lopez as he redeemed himself quickly from the previous matchup.. C