Is Bogdan Bogdanovic playing tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Conference Finals?
The Atlanta Hawks face a crucial win-or-go home game six against the Milwaukee Bucks, and will be hoping sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic is available on Saturday night. The Serbian shooting guard has been struggling with right knee soreness since the end of their semi-final series with the Philadelphia 76ers. That has hampered his accuracy at times in this contest with the Bucks.
Bogdanovic has been a crucial aspect of the Atlanta Hawks' success this year on both ends of the floor and it would be a huge blow were he not to play. His side are down 3-2 after a 123-112 loss on Thursday to the Milwaukee Bucks and will be looking to force a game seven on home court tonight.
Will Bogdan Bogdanovic be available for Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks?
At the time of writing, Bogdan Bogdanovic was listed as probable to compete in the Hawks' most important game since they last appeared in the Conference Finals in 2015.
After struggling through the first three games of the series, the 28-year-old appears to have rediscovered his shooting touch. In their game four blowout win, Bogdanovic scored seven of 19 attempts from the field and shot at 43% from deep. He drained six threes in that matchup, but bettered his playoff career-high with seven in the following game on Thursday.
Not only does Bogdan Bogdanovic have the hot hand at the moment on offense, he leads all players in the playoffs for the most steals, averaging 1.5 per game. He has already grabbed 11 in this series, including four in Tuesday night's win. His defensive versatility has been crucial against the Milwaukee Bucks' array of scoring talent.
Other Atlanta Hawks players such as Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter have been stepping up, especially in Trae Young's absence, and Bogdan Bogdanovic's importance has arguably never been greater. Despite being marred by injury throughout the campaign, he is still one of the most lethal scorers on the floor.
The Hawks will be looking to utilize their three-point shooting against a Milwaukee Bucks side who performed terribly defending the perimeter during the regular season. Furthermore, having returned to his regular minutes in the previous two encounters, it is likely Bogdanovic will be on the floor for the majority of the game, playing 38 minutes on Thursday.