Milwaukee Bucks: Grades from superb Game 6 win vs. the Atlanta Hawks
By Dalton Sell
It has been an eventful ride throughout these playoffs, but the Milwaukee Bucks officially punched their ticket to the NBA Finals with their victory last night.
Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who continues to battle back from a hyperextended knee, the Bucks marched into State Farm Arena for a crucial Game 6 with the Atlanta Hawks. Milwaukee never surrendered their lead in this matchup, finding themselves ahead until the very end, where they earned the 118-107 victory on the road against a formidable opponent.
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With Antetokounmpo sitting for the second consecutive game, several key Bucks stepped up in his absence to help elevate this team to victory and earn their place to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly five decades.
It was a back-and-forth battle that saw the Bucks ultimately gut out the win, and here are player grades based on how everything transpired throughout last night’s Game 6 thriller.
How did the second unit perform in Game 6 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks?
Pat Connaughton has strung together some stellar performances this postseason, but given the circumstances, this might be one of his best yet. Offensively, the guard provided a massive jolt of energy in the second unit by scoring 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-6 from deep. He proved to be a reliable scoring threat for the Bucks, and he proved once more how lethal he could be when that outside shot is falling with efficiency. Elsewhere on the floor, Connaughton showcased his activeness by hauling in eight rebounds and grabbing two steals. He was persistent on the defensive end all night by chasing around his assignment and making life difficult for them on every given possession. Given how thinned out Milwaukee’s bench was due to lineup changes, the Bucks could not have asked for a better game from Connaughton, let alone in one of this magnitude.. SG. Milwaukee Bucks. PAT CONNAUGHTON. A+
A+. Onlookers have criticized Jeff Teague all throughout this playoff run with the Bucks, but he seemingly put that scrutiny to bed for the moment. The guard hit the floor for just over 12 minutes in the matchup, providing an essential spark offensively off the bench by scoring 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting, all of his makes coming from behind the arc. Playing against his former team with the opportunity to finish the series seemingly placed a massive chip on Teague’s shoulder as he entered the game more motivated and energetic than ever before. Although his minutes have been scattered throughout this postseason, Teague had a stellar performance in Game 6 that ultimately helped lead the Bucks to a win.. PG. Milwaukee Bucks. JEFF TEAGUE
C+. Bryn Forbes has seen his minutes cut mightily after his offensive explosion in round one largely because he has not found a groove. Struggling to shoot the basketball against the Hawks, the guard once again saw his time regress in favor of Connaughton and Teague in Game 6. In the 10 minutes that he did hit the floor, Forbes tallied five points on 2-of-4 shooting, including 1-of-3 from long range. He capped off that brief window of playing time by totaling two rebounds and two assists also. These numbers are far from memorable as Forbes once against struggled to knock down his shots from deep, albeit the small timeframe he was given to do so. Yet, the Bucks rode the hot hand with Connaughton and Teague playing so well offensively, and who can blame them?. SG. Milwaukee Bucks. BRYN FORBES