It has been an eventful two-game start to begin the Eastern Conference Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks, to say the least.
Game 1 went down to the wire and the Hawks ultimately pulled off the upset on the Bucks’ home floor with a 116-113 victory. Thanks to several offensive rebounds gathered late in the game to put extra points on the board, Atlanta looked like the far more energized team to steal Game 1 on the road. Understanding their effort was not up to par, the Bucks came out with bad intentions from the opening tip in Game 2 and built up a lead as big as 41 points en route to a 125-91 win.
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With this best of seven matchup currently knotted at 1-1, the series shifts to Atlanta for the next two contests. The Hawks snagged homecourt advantage with their massive victory in Game 1, and the Bucks have a golden opportunity ahead to reclaim it over the next two.
It begins with handling their business in tonight’s Game 3, and if they will keep the momentum rolling from their last game, here are three crucial keys to victory to emphasize on the floor.
The Milwaukee Bucks must ride the hot hand in Jrue Holiday during Game 3 with the Atlanta Hawks
Jrue Holiday is known for his reputable presence on the defensive end, but it is his offense that has made headlines for the Bucks in this series.
The guard was a force in Game 1 by scoring 33 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-12 from deep. He was getting practically anything he wanted, in addition to dishing out 10 assists to his teammates in the loss. While he did not match that production in Game 2, Holiday had a strong follow up by scoring 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the long line. Also handing out seven assists, Holiday played that floor general role to a T.
Holiday has looked beyond comfortable throughout these first two games against the Hawks after struggling to find his shot during the first two rounds of the postseason. Although it comes in a rather small sample size, the guard is averaging 27.5 points while shooting 59 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three while dishing out 8.5 assists per contest. Those are sensational numbers, and the Bucks need to keep him in this newfound groove offensively.
It starts with the guard remaining aggressive with the basketball and attacking whenever the opportunity presents itself. Holiday has been especially impactful closer to the basket, but given how well he has shot the ball from distance to this point, the team will assure him to continue letting it fly when he has a good look. Keeping Holiday in a groove by giving him more touches will be a key for the Bucks heading down to face the Hawks on the road.