Truly in an underdog fashion, the Atlanta Hawks beat the Philadelphia 76ers in a grueling 7 game series to secure their spot to this year’s Eastern Conference Finals to face off against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. These two teams that many had brushed off going into this year’s Playoffs will be compete for their chance to play on the biggest stage that is the NBA Finals.
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Match-Up Preview:
This year’s Eastern Conference Finals match-up is one perhaps many would admit they didn’t see coming. After respective teams won their series’ against what seemed to be this year’s favorites in the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets, it would appear the Eastern Conference is up for grabs entirely for the two remaining organizations.
The #3 Milwaukee Bucks persevered against all the odds, having beat what appeared to be the team expected to win it all this year in the Brooklyn Nets. With such a victory behind them, the Bucks have all the momentum they need to continue on their journey towards a championship. The team has a different feel to it this time around in comparison to its previous iterations, with additions such as Jrue Holiday and P.J. Tucker to help on both ends of the floor, while the other staple pieces of the roster in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton continue to play at a high level. The Bucks have a multitude of 2-way players who can impact the game on both ends on the floor, which is more than needed when going into a series against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
The #5 Atlanta Hawks have really seemed to be the Cinderella Story of this year’s Playoffs, especially after winning against the 76ers. Like the Bucks, they too have a great a deal of momentum as well. Trae Young has seemingly led the way with their push to the championship, averaging almost 30 points per game throughout the entirety of the Playoffs. The roster, unbeknownst to many, came as quite as a surprise in regards to how they’ve been able to gel as a bonafide Playoff contender considering their standings in year’s past. They’ve quite the blend of young talent in Trae Young, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter and veteran presence in Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. It will be must-see television to see who can get the edge on over the other upon the start of this series.
Ultimately this series comes down to getting stops on the defensive end, for both teams can and will score and make plays without question. Which team will be able to make the correct adjustments on both ends of the floor to propel themselves forward in the series to win it when it is all said and done? With that in mind the amount of different defensive players the Milwaukee Bucks have may provide the edge that they need to make life difficult for the Hawks. However, the Hawks have been seen as the underdogs the entirety of the post-season and have been exceeding expectations over the course of the first two rounds, and they just may continue to do so.
Prediction: Milwaukee in 6
The Eastern Conference Finals kick off with the Atlanta Hawks taking on the Milwaukee Bucks today, June 23rd, at 8:30PM ET on TNT.
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