An intriguing matchup within the Jap Convention playoff race takes place in Milwaukee on Sunday evening because the Bucks welcome the Atlanta Hawks for the fifth and closing time this season.
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Either side have traded wins, splitting the sequence so far 2-2, together with an additional matchup within the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas.
Atlanta is available in having misplaced two in a row following a three-game win streak. The Hawks fell on the street 122-112 to the Miami Warmth on Thursday evening.
“We really have to help each other, we’re undersized,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder stated. “Our margin is not great. In the first quarter we were able to get stops and run, that’s the key for us.”
Atlanta is prime three within the league in each steals and deflections per recreation together with second in tempo .
Milwaukee has dropped three straight after falling at dwelling to the New York Knicks 116-107 on Friday. The Bucks have gone 0-10 in opposition to New York, Boston and Cleveland the highest three groups within the East this season.
One participant has come on just lately within the absence of Damian Lillard: Ryan Rollins. The younger guard has put up career-highs in consecutive video games after he scored 20 on Friday. His emergence has been key because the Bucks proceed to play with out Lillard, who averaged 24.9 factors and seven.1 assists earlier than being sidelined with deep vein thrombosis in his proper calf final week.
“He’s not a natural point guard, we don’t have one, that guy is Dame and he’s not here right now,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers stated. “Ryan has been absolutely wonderful for us. Defensively he’s been fantastic. He’s going downhill, finishing.”
The Bucks have been environment friendly offensively in opposition to the Knicks, taking pictures 55 %, they usually rank fifth within the NBA in field-goal proportion and third in 3-point proportion .
Nevertheless, the Knicks outperformed the Bucks on each the offensive glass and turnovers .
“We shot 55 percent, you’re going to win a lot of games when you do that,” Rivers added. “It wasn’t just the turnovers or the offensive rebounds; it was the combination of those two things.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee with 30.2 factors and 12.0 rebounds per recreation, whereas Brook Lopez is among the many league leaders with 1.9 blocks per recreation.
Trae Younger leads Atlanta with 24.1 factors and 11.4 assists per contest, and Onyeka Okongwu averages a team-best 8.7 rebounds to go together with 13.1 factors per recreation.
On the damage entrance, together with Lillard, Jericho Sims is out with a torn ligament in his thumb, whereas Bobby Portis stays suspended for violating the league’s anti-drug coverage.
On Atlanta’s facet, Keaton Wallace missed Thursday’s recreation.
The Hawks shall be with out Larry Nance Jr. for the rest of the season, together with Jalen Johnson , Clint Capela , and Kobe Bufkin .
Within the final matchup between these groups on March 4, Milwaukee gained on the street 127-121.
Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 26 factors, 12 boards and 10 assists whereas Kyle Kuzma added 17 factors and 10 rebounds. Trae Younger had 28 factors and 13 assists for Atlanta.
The Bucks sit 5 video games forward of Atlanta within the sixth place of the Jap Convention standings the ultimate spot that avoids the play-in match with simply two weeks remaining. Nevertheless, the Hawks would acquire the head-to-head tiebreaker over Milwaukee with a victory on Sunday.
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