Five Takeaways from Hawks Win Over Bucks
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Last night the Atlanta Hawks upset the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98. Not only were the Bucks the last remaining unbeaten team in the NBA, but the Hawks were without Trae Young. Below are our five biggest takeaways from Monday night's game.
Defense
As we discussed in yesterday's four keys to victory, the defense would be the most important factor in the Hawks taking down the unbeaten Bucks. Hawks head coach Nate McMillan's plan of packing the lane worked.
McMillan's plan got worrisome when the Bucks hit their first five three-point attempts. However, their outside shooting eventually regressed towards the mean, and the Hawks took control of the game in the second half. Once again, Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu did an excellent job of containing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Dejounte Murray
Trae Young missed last night's game due to a shin contusion, which left Dejounte Murray with an even more important role. Murray did not disappoint, scoring 25 points and dishing 11 assists.
On the other end of the floor, Murray uses his length, athleticism, and knowledge to clean up messes on defense. He and the rest of the Hawks wings should be commended for how they checked Bucks guards.
AJ Griffin
AJ Griffin had the best game of his young career against the Bucks. The rookie logged over 31 minutes of action on the court. Even better, Griffin scored 24 points on 10-15 shooting.
Not only did Nate McMillan keep Griffin on the floor during crunch time, but he ran offensive sets through the 19-year-old. Atlanta's front office was surprised when Griffin fell to them in the 2022 NBA Draft, and it's starting to feel like a major steal.
Justin Holiday
It will always be fun when the Hawks and Bucks play this season just because we get to see three Holiday brothers on the court simultaneously. Two weeks ago, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday lit the Hawks up. Last night, Hawks guard Justin Holiday stole the show.
Sure, Justin scored 14 points and hit 4-7 three-point attempts. But he also played solid perimeter defense. With Young out of the game, McMillan needed more out of his role players, and Justin stepped up.
Onyeka Okongwu
Once again, the thunder and lightning approach to containing Antetokounmpo proved effective. Hawks big men Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu have a large sample size of playing good defense against the 2x NBA MVP.
Okongwu logged 12 points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. The backup center was a +22 on the court and posterized Antetokounmpo for good measure. The Hawks and Bucks play two more times in the regular season, and they could easily face each other in the playoffs. If so, the Hawks have a game plan for containing Antetokounmpo.
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