By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t count on Giannis Antetokounmpo for Game 5 due to a knee injury and that seems to have given the squad a sense of urgency and need to play better than ever in order to make up for it. And they did just that in a 123-112 home win to take the 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Four players stepped up big for the Bucks who dominated the paint and were very aggressive offensively, attacking the basket relentlessly. Brook Lopez led the way with 33 points followed by Khris Middleton with 26 and Jrue Holiday with 25 points while Bobby Portis scored 22. Middleton also grabbed 13 boards while Holiday dished out 13 assists.
“It’s not something where you … need to consciously think, ‘I need to do more. It’s just you’re ready for opportunities as they arise. Throughout the season, one of the, I would say, beautiful things about our team is you’re called to do different things on different nights,” Pat Connaughton said.
Atlanta couldn’t count on their superstar as well, as Trae Young’s return is still awaited and there’s a good chance (or at least a big hope) that he will suit up for the next game. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 28 points while John Collins and Danilo Gallinari had 19 each. Lou Williams added 17.
Hawks coach Nate McMillan knew what to expect but his squad just couldn’t handle the pressure: “We knew that they were going to come with that sense of urgency tonight,” McMillan said. “They were going to continue to attack even without Giannis in the lineup. That’s just how they play. … They just dominated the paint tonight.”