After Game 1 Nail-Biter, Bucks Look To Pull Even In Eastern Conference Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals Friday night at Fiserv Forum.

The Hawks upset the Bucks with a 116-113 victory in Game 1 Wednesday. Point guard Trae Young posted 48 points for Atlanta, a pace that’ll be tricky to maintain throughout the series — the winner of which will go on to face the Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Clippers for a title.

The Hawks advanced to the conference finals over the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. Atlanta has built confidence during its playoff run, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said.

“You’ve got to break that. You’ve got to win some of the close games,” he said.

Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday had 33 points Wednesday, but he said Milwaukee will need to have more success securing offensive boards — a bright spot for the team during its previous series. Rebounds were a difference-maker for the Hawks late in Game 1.

“It’s a little bit of effort, sometimes it’s just a little bit of luck, sometimes the ball just doesn’t go your way,” Holiday said. “But if you want to win, you’ve got to have them.”

Holiday thought the team executed well offensively Wednesday, but shots just didn’t fall their way, he said. Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton and Khris Middleton both missed 3-pointers in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Until that game, the Bucks hadn’t lost a home game during these playoffs. Meanwhile, the Hawks have gone 6-2 in road games. They’ve won Game 1 in all three of their series this postseason.

“At the end of the day, it’s a seven-game series,” Budenholzer said. “You’ve got to find a way to win four. Certainly, it would be great to win at home, but any good team, any team that advances, usually you have to win on the road whether you have home-court advantage or not.”

Milwaukee proved it could beat top competition outside of Fiserv Forum on Saturday when the Bucks upset the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 of their semifinal series at the Barclays Center.

The Bucks last reached the conference finals in 2019, but they haven’t played for a championship since 1974.

Thousands of fans have been gathering in Milwaukee’s Deer District to watch games these playoffs. Before Game 1 Wednesday, the team announced it would expand its viewing parties due to demand.

“We appreciate the incredible support of our fans and ask for them to continue their positive behavior,” the Bucks said in a statement. “We appreciate working with the city of Milwaukee to keep the viewing parties safe and fun for our fans.”