5 Things Milwaukee Bucks need to do to continue their winning momentum against Atlanta Hawks | 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals
The Milwaukee Bucks will square off against the Atlanta Hawks tonight with the intent to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference finals matchup.
The Bucks won Game 3 with ease as Khris Middleton ran riot in the 4th quarter to inflict a 113-102 loss upon the Atlanta Hawks at their home arena. Both Middleton and the team's talismanic forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are expected to lead the charge for the Bucks in Game 4.
2021 NBA Playoffs: 5 Factors that can help the Milwaukee Bucks clinch the series against the Atlanta Hawks
The majority of Milwaukee Bucks stars - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday - haven't experienced a championship win until now. However, they are just two wins away from making their first NBA finals appearance, and it is imperative for the trio and the team to keep their foot on the gas pedal.
On that note, here are 5 things they need to continue to do to get past the Atlanta Hawks -
#5 - Let Khris Middleton dictate the offense in the 4th quarter
Khris Middleton scored a career playoff-high 38 points in Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks. A whopping 20 of those came in the fourth quarter as Middleton singlehandedly took the game away from Trae Young and co. He made more three-pointers(6) than the rest of his teammates combined (5), and finished with a team-high 11 rebounds and seven assists.
The Milwaukee Bucks have handed the keys of offense to the 29-year-old come crunch time, and the small forward has delivered consistently. Khris Middleton has played the role of a closer to perfection, and the team should continue to trust him in the final 12 minutes of their games.
#4 - The Milwaukee Bucks will need to continue to shoot well from downtown
Mike Budenholzer's team shot 39% from behind the three-point arc in Game 3, which ended up as a major factor in the Bucks win. It was a similar story in Game 2, as the Milwaukee Bucks made 36.6% of their shots from the deep as opposed to the Hawks' 25%.
However, in Game 1, the Bucks were able to connect on just 25% shots from downtown. The game ended in a loss for the team, and this trend leads to a key observation. The Milwaukee Bucks stand a great chance of winning games even when their 3-point shooting is average on the night.
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