Image via Twitter / Sportscenter
Playoff basketball is a game of momentum, and on Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks just watched a good deal of their momentum vanish at State Farm Arena.
Things looked promising before tipoff, with the news coming down that Hawks guard Trae Young would not suit up for a very important game for Atlanta, due to a deep bone bruise sustained on Sunday. It would turn out that they didn’t need his assistance, as the Bucks came out flat, with shades of game three on Sunday. Atlanta rolled to a 15-2 lead early, but Milwaukee battled back to reduce the lead to just three after one period of play.
The Bucks never led on Tuesday, and the closest they got was a 19-19 lead with 1:16 left in the first quarter. That momentum was quickly silenced with a deep three-pointer from Danilo Gallinari, which was met with a roar from the State Farm Arena crowd. It was all Atlanta from that point forward, expanding their lead in the second quarter to a 16-point margin by halftime.
To make matters worse, Giannis Antetokounmpo had his own battles that would only end badly. The first half saw three airballs from the Greek Freak, with two coming at the free-throw line, adding to the troubles that he’s dealt with all season. That wouldn’t be the worst part of his night, however, as he would collide with Clint Capela under the basket in the third quarter, hyperextending his left knee in the process. The early evaluation is limited, but much like Trae Young’s injury on Sunday, will require additional testing on Wednesday, with his status for game five on Thursday night in question.
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The night was effectively over for Milwaukee after that point, with the Bucks looking deflated while Atlanta rolled to the delight of a roaring crowd. Atlanta shooting guard Lou Williams, who started in place of Trae Young, put up 21 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic put up 20 of his own as the game pulled away. For Milwaukee, Jrue Holiday led the scoring with 19 points, and Khris Middleton had 16, but both struggled, with both shooting just 6-17 from the field. There weren’t many positives for the Bucks, and it’ll be a night that they’ll have to quickly forget, with game five coming to Fiserv Forum on Thursday. Two of the last three games of the series will be in Milwaukee, which would likely be an advantage for the Bucks, although the Hawks were able to steal game one at Fiserv Forum last week.
A crucial game five is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night from Milwaukee, with the series tied up at two games each. Fans who aren’t in the building making noise will be invited to do so outside in the Deer District, which has seen concert-size crowds all playoffs. You can get information on playoff watch parties at the Deer District website.
