The Milwaukee Bucks are officially on win away from their first trip to the NBA Finals in 47 years.
The Bucks stepped up to take a 3-2 series over the Atlanta Hawks in their Eastern Conference Finals series following their 123-112 Game 5 win Thursday night at Fiserv Forum.
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Of course, the win came without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo after he was ruled out for Game 5 earlier in the day after suffering a left knee hyperextension that didn’t come with any structural damage, fortunately. And as we’ll get into, the Bucks were able to withstand the absence of their two-time MVP for at least one night.
So without further ado, let’s break down what stood out the most from the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 5 win over the Atlanta Hawks from Thursday night.
Bobby Portis lifts the Milwaukee Bucks in his first playoff start in Game 5 win
To say Bobby Portis had big shoes to fill going into Thursday night would be an understatement. And considering the circumstances, Portis delivered, much to the appreciation of the raucous crowd inside Fiserv Forum.
Portis finished with 22 points on 9-of-20 shooting (1-for-3 from deep, 3-for-6 from the free throw line), eight rebounds, three assists as well as three steals and was a +14 in over 35-and-a-half minutes of action.
Working in tandem with Brook Lopez to man the boards and extend possessions, Portis put in an incredibly gritty performances where he literally flexed his muscles all throughout the night.
Whether it was the way Portis got his hands into passing lanes that helped him leak out in transition to put down easy buckets, hit shots out of the post or knocked down a much-needed corner triple, the big man chipped in where he could. All while not just holding up defensively, but pressuring the Hawks’ ball handlers to jumpstart the Bucks on the break.
There’s no question that this performance not only will cement his contributions in Milwaukee, but have a lasting impression on his immediate future, especially as free agency is around the corner. No matter what happens moving forward, Portis has done his part to make the Bucks’ goal of reaching the Finals that much more possible with such a performance.
Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton take the reins in Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 5 win
Portis did his part to step up in Antetokounmpo’s absence, but both Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton had the much harder job of replacing Antetokounmpo’s role and usage while on the floor. It’s safe to say both Holiday and Middleton took the reins and were the key drivers behind the Bucks’ most efficient performance this series, per NBA.com/stats.
Holiday posted 25 points on 9-for-20 shooting (3-for-8 from three, 4-for-5 from the foul line), 13 assists and six rebounds, two turnovers and a steal in nearly 42 minutes of run. Middleton, meanwhile, compiled 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting (2-for-6 from downtown, 4-for-5 from the free throw line), 13 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in nearly 45 minutes of run.
Both Holiday and Middleton equally had their pulse on the game and the Bucks’ ability to control the tempo that was key in fending off the Hawks. And they did so in their own ways.
Holiday set the tone early for the smash mouth-like offense the Bucks deployed as they repeatedly got into the teeth of the Hawks’ interior defense and feasted at the rim. Along with that, the veteran guard’s paint penetration opened up easy feeds for the Bucks’ bigs, specifically Brook Lopez, and Holiday was supremely crisp with his decision making on the ball.
The same could easily be said for Middleton and the combination of both Holiday and Middleton’s probing led to them combining for 21 of the Bucks’ 28 assists. Rounding it all out was Middleton’s strong shotmaking and his exceptional finishing inside the paint. Just look at how Middleton put Kevin Huerter in this vicious spin cycle and was able to finish around Hawks center Clint Capela at the basket.
Antetokounmpo’s absence only heightened the need for Holiday and Middleton to step up as needed to take a win for Game 5. That’s exactly what they did and they’ll need something similar to close out this series next time.
Brook Lopez delivers a legacy performance in the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 5 win
Without question, the Bucks’ Game 5 win over the Hawks will very much serve as Brook Lopez‘s signature performance since coming to Milwaukee nearly three years ago.
Lopez finished with a Bucks career-high 33 points on 14-for-18 shooting (0-for-2 from long distance, 5-for-7 from the free throw line), seven boards, four blocks, two steals in 37-and-a-half minutes of action.
Lopez was the primary beneficiary of the Bucks’ penetration and was responsible for 26 of the Bucks’ 66 paint points on the night. With all of the pressure the Bucks put on the rim, it opened up the lane for Lopez to hammer home some impressive dunks and turning into ‘Smash Mountain.’ And to that point, 12 of Lopez’s made field goals were assisted and was 13-for-14 on shots taken inside the paint.
Defensively, Lopez was the enforcing rim protector the Bucks have seen over the last three years and beyond the four blocks he finished with, Lopez made last-second alters to disrupt shot attempts at the basket for the Hawks. There just aren’t many bigs who can make a recovery like this when getting beaten off the dribble like Lopez does on Hawks guard Kris Dunn.
Over the last three years and the Bucks’ playoff runs, we’ve seen Lopez rise up to the moment and when they need it most. And as he talked about after the game with ESPN’s Royce Young, Lopez has just done all that has been asked of him, all in the name of helping out his team:
"“I’m just trying to go out there and help my team however possible. Whether it’s playing that new, modern 3-ball game, floor stretch game, or being inside,” Lopez said. “What was great about today is we were all really just basketball players, on offense and defense. We were playing off one another, making plays, making extra passes. It was a lot of fun tonight.”"
When we look back on Lopez’s stint in Milwaukee and the many highlights, this game will certainly stand atop of that list, though he has plenty more time to top this performance under similar stakes.
The Bucks will look to close out their Conference Finals series with the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 Saturday night at State Farm Arena. You can catch the action on TNT where it will be nationally broadcasted.