Go figure. No Trae Young. No problem.
The Hawks defeated the Bucks, 110-88, without their star player in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday at State Farm Arena. The series is tied 2-2.
Here’s a look at the game.
Trae out, Lou in
With Young unable to play with a bone bruise in his right foot, Lou Williams got the start. It was the first career playoff start for Williams, who has appeared in 87 postseason games with the 76ers, Raptors, Rockets, Clippers and Hawks (two stints). Williams finished with 21 points.
Off the bench
With Young out, Hawks coach Nate McMillan called on Cam Reddish and Kris Dunn as his first substitutes. Reddish had been out since February when he returned to action in Game 2 of the series, playing 17 minutes of a blowout in his only court time of the series before Tuesday.
Dunn’s only action of these playoffs was 10 minutes in the Game 2 blowout. The two came on in the third quarter as well. Reddish finished with 12 points, including two 3-pointers, in 23 minutes. Dunn played 11 minutes.
Giannis countdown
Giannis Antetokounmpo was held scoreless in the first quarter, missing both shot attempts. His first basket came with 10:30 left in the second quarter, an and-one on a drive to the basket. With the State Farm crowd breaking out in a 10-second countdown with Antetokounmpo at the line (alerting the officials to a possible time violation), he airballed the attempt. On his next trip to the line late in the second quarter, Antetokounmpo missed both of those attempts, including another airball. He left with a hyper-extended knee suffered with 7:14 left in the third quarter.
No runouts
Controlling the Bucks’ fast-break points, from runouts and turnovers, has been an issue for the Hawks all series. McMillan knew it.
“It is an issue,” McMillan said after watching film of the Game 3 loss. “It’s been an issue. We talked about that before the game. Our quick shots are leading to transition baskets. That’s something they’ve taken advantage of. That guy who is contesting those quick shots, or those long 3s, is leaking out and it’s giving them an advantage in transition. Absolutely we’ve taken notice of that, not just last night but it’s happened in the first two games. Just got to do a better job of shot selection, quick shots and turnovers, they are turning those into quick points.”
The Bucks were limited to four fast-break points through three quarters.
Fast breaks
* The Hawks shot 15 of 37 (.405) from 3-point range in Game 3. It was the Hawks’ third game this postseason shooting at least 40%. They have made 15-or-more 3-pointers four times in the playoffs, tied for the second-most games in the Eastern Conference behind the Nets (7) and tied with the Bucks (4). They were 13 of 38 in Game 4.
* The Bucks outscored the Hawks by 45 points in the previous two games – a 34-point win in Game 2 and an 11-point win in Game 3. Seven of their 10 wins this postseason have now come by double digits. The Hawks answered with a 22-point win.
Injury report
Young (right foot bone bruise) was listed as questionable after suffering the injury late in Game 3. An MRI Monday revealed the extent of the injury. He was called a game-time decision by McMillan prior to the game but ruled out not long before tipoff.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee soreness) was listed as probable and started. The guard was listed as questionable but started for the first three games of the series. De’Andre Hunter (right meniscus surgery) and Brandon Goodwin (minor respiratory condition) remain out and inactive.
For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo was listed on the injury report before Game 3 with a sore calf. He was not on the report ahead of Game 4.
About the Author
