Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks set to end long wait of playing NBA finals

NAGPUR: Post their stunning Game-seven wins on the road over the top two Eastern Conference teams, both the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks will set up an intriguing matchup for a spot in the NBA Finals. The seven-game series of NBA's Eastern Conference Finals will begin early in the morning on Thursday (IST).
While the Hawks took down the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 to set the Conference finals with the Bucks, who emerged victorious in a thriller against the Brooklyn Nets.
For both the Eastern Conference finalists there’s more than a berth in the NBA Finals as the winner of the series will also end a drought of some decades.
It’s been 50 years since the Bucks won their only NBA championship and 47 years since they last made the NBA Finals.
The Hawks’ wait is even longer. It’s been 63 years since they won their only NBA championship and 60 years since they last made the NBA Finals — both accomplished when the franchise was known as the St. Louis Hawks. Milwaukee and Atlanta both will also have their sights set on earning a long-elusive Larry O’Brien Trophy too.
The No. 5 seed Hawks are into their first Conference Finals since 2015, while the Bucks return for a shot at the NBA Finals, with their last appearance coming in 2019, where they let a 2-0 lead slip to the Toronto Raptors.
Milwaukee and Atlanta are meeting in the playoffs for the fifth time. They have split the first four series, all played in the first round — the most recent being Atlanta’s seven-game victory in 2010.
This is Atlanta’s second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in its 51 seasons as a member of the Eastern Conference. The Hawks previously made the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2014-15 season — no player from that team remains on today’s roster.
In the improbable matchup between the Bucks and Hawks, eyes will be on the following three players:
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
This is Giannis Antetokoumpo's moment. After getting the Bucks through to the Conference Finals after two straight years of falling short, this is his best chance to advance to his first NBA Finals. Against the Brooklyn Nets, he went toe-to-toe with Kevin Durant, dropping 40 points and 13 rebounds in Game 7, looking every bit the two-time MVP after a slow start to the series. In three games against the Hawks this season, he averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 64.6 percent shooting and if we learned anything from the Nets series, stepping away from the 3-point line and living in the paint will be the key to success against the Hawks.
Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks
Jrue Holiday could prove to be one of the most important players in this series, not just for his defensive work on Young, but this series is primed for him to rediscover his offensive touch. In three games against the Hawks this season, Holiday averaged 19.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds on 56.1 percent shooting and 44.4 percent from the 3-point line — the second most productive player behind Antetokounmpo. He has struggled to get going through the first two rounds of the postseason, averaging 15.2 points on 24.6 percent from the 3-point line, but against the likes of Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, and Lou Williams, the Hawks don't possess a ton of defensive resistance on the perimeter, opening the door for Holiday to be a major factor.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks
Bogdan Bogdanovic was this close to being on the other side of this matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks until a deal for the Serbian sharpshooter fell through, paving the way for the Hawks to swoop on his signature. His floor-spacing ability is a crucial part of the Hawks' offence, opening up space for Young to attack the paint, one can't leave him open. Through 12 games in the playoffs, he's averaged 13.8 points and 5.0 rebounds on 30.4 percent from deep. In the first four games against the 76ers he averaged 19 points, before putting up 5.6 points across the final three, dealing with knee soreness.