3 important takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ win over Atlanta Hawks

After playing each other three times within the first 13 games of the season and twice in the preseason, the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks squared off on Wednesday night for the first time in what feels like an eternity. The end of the game was much more exciting than it needed to be after Atlanta mounted yet another big comeback against the Bucks. Here are the three most important takeaways from Milwaukee’s win.

The Milwaukee Bucks continue to let big leads slip

Hitting on Atlanta’s comeback right away, the Bucks can’t seem to close out games when they’re given easy chances to do so. It’s one thing to let up a big lead every once in a while because it’s bound to happen at some point, but Milwaukee has now made it a habit not to put teams away and let them back in the game.

Against Atlanta, Milwaukee led by as many as 24, including a 21-point lead heading into halftime. The Bucks then proceeded to get outscored 36-22 in the third quarter, and that lead was down to seven going into the fourth.

The Hawks took their first lead with over three minutes left, grabbing a 103-101 lead. The Bucks would go on a 13-2 run to end the game and ultimately finish victorious, but Milwaukee’s inability to preserve a lead is now officially a concern.

After the first time against Chicago, it felt like an anomaly. Then, they did it again a week later against Toronto, and it felt like it might be a slight concern. Another week later, Milwaukee blew a big second-half lead again, and it feels like it’s time to call it as it is a real concern.

Oddly enough, all three games were played on three consecutive Wednesdays on the road. Perhaps the Bucks need to avoid playing road games on Wednesdays. Whatever the cause, the Bucks need to break their habit of taking their foot off of the gas if they want to return to the pinnacle of the NBA world this season.