Official Game Thread: Bucks at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

The Hawk Starts Here.

 

Sure, they’re unbeaten through nine games. But I’m here to assure you, these Milwaukee Bucks aren’t going to get very far.

Not if you’re measuring by flight mileage.

After the Bucks edged the Sixers in Philadelphia to kickstart this season, they have basically lived not just at home, but in their Central Time Zone. Further, their cozy road schedule, after tonight’s tangle with the Hawks (8:15 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Wisconsin) in Atlanta, continues in the same fashion until we get close to the All-Star Break.

With all due respect to the traveling soap opera that was the Nets, the Hawks (6-3) were the toughest draw in Milwaukee’s six-game home stretch, nearly knocking off Buddy Bud and the Funky Bunch before letting them off the hook in the closing minutes. Following a pair of home wins over division-rival Detroit, the Bucks took a break from their homestand for one (1) day to travel one (1) state to the west, outlasting the T-Wolves on Friday. They then returned to America’s Dairyland on Saturday, but only to find the Thunder waiting for them.

This three-game venture for the Bucks sees the Hawks, again, as arguably and hopefully their toughest test. From Atlanta, it’s on to replay the Thunder, this time in OKC, and then visit San Antonio. Then they’ll enjoy a pair of weekend days off before the Hawks, fresh off a home-and-home with Philly, swing by Fiserv Forum once more next Monday.

Next week’s contest kicks off a six-games-out-of-seven Milwaukee homestand, interrupted briefly by revisiting a Sixers team that may or may not have Embiid in tow, and certainly not The Bearded One. There will be no other road games after that until the final day of this month, when Giannis Antetokounmpo decides if he’ll hurdle an unsuspecting Knick at MSG.

Milwaukee’s away games pick up with greater frequency in December, beginning in Charlotte and, if Nicole is gentle with us all down here, Orlando. Still, even the Western Conference draws are of the CST variety: Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, and that’s about it before the Bucks return here to State Farm Arena once more on January 11.

By that time, the Hawks will have just returned from a four-game visit with all the Cali teams to pop off the 2023 calendar season. Schedule stickler that Yours Truly is, I note all this because, yes, both clubs had to spend their preseasons in Camel Country (no, not Winston-Salem), but while the Hawks got a friendly strength-of-schedule break of sorts, the Bucks were rewarded with a docket that hardly expects them to lift a hoof.

The first-half schedule design seems like a layup custom-made for Mike Budenholzer and his crack staff. It’s welcome for a team still missing three mission-critical swingmen (Khris Middleton, Joe Ingles, Pat Connaughton) due to injuries. Saturday night’s 108-94 win over the visiting Thunder represented Milwaukee’s last SEGABABA this month, and OKC was a timely adversary to allow Coach Bud to rest Antetokounmpo (probable, sore knee) ahead of tonight’s matchup.

Barring more extensive injury stints for the Greek Freak, the Bucks look the part of an Eastern Conference heavyweight destined for a historic start to the NBA season. If Milwaukee travels much in any direction, it ought to be north in the standings. Yet the Hawks have more chances over the coming days to be not just the fly in their ointment, but to look the part of a veritable ECF challenger. That is, if they can figure out how to do so for more than just drips and drabs at a time.

Just when it seems Atlanta has figured something out, they revert to bad habits and squander whatever momentum they’ve seized. Clint Capela (21 points, 19 boards, 4 swats vs. NOP) finished consecutive buckets at the rim to hoist the Hawks up by 13 on Saturday night, but sloppy ballhandling, rebounding lapses and unneeded desperation heaves allowed Zion Williamson and New Orleans to nearly walk the Hawks down.

Many of the same symptoms were present when Atlanta allowed the Bucks to escape with the 123-115 win back on October 29. Still, the Bucks needed all of Brook Lopez’s first-half threes, and Jrue Holiday’s wake-up call performance (34 points, 12 assists, 4 steals), and one fortuitous referee whistle, to set the stage for Giannis’ heroics (17 fourth-quarter points; scored/assisted on 10 of MIL’s last 11 points).

The Pels’ Brandon Ingram and Jose Alvarado combined to match the entire Atlanta club’s second-half assist output, at eight, on Saturday night, after 16 Hawk helpers paced Atlanta to a 60-52 halftime lead. Fortunately, Dejounte Midrange Murray’s tough jumpers in the final minutes ushered in a gritty overtime finish, where the Hawks would not spoil his first triple-double (22 points despite 1-for-8 3FGs, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals vs. NOP) with his new club.

Onyeka Okongwu won’t need motivation to get going against Giannis and Friends, but the Hawks will need more production on the glass than the sixth-man could muster in Saturday’s inert showing (4 points, a rebound, five fouls in under 18 minutes). If Atlanta’s front line, inclusive of second-year pro and Wisconsinite Jalen Johnson, can hold serve versus the likes of Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, and if outside shots from Trae Young (42 points, 5 assists @ MIL on Oct. 29) and Murray come purely within the flow of an egalitarian offense, the Hawks can give Milwaukee reasons to re-strategize ahead of next week’s rematch.

Here's to a full-hearted, full-game effort before a raucous, civic-minded Atlanta crowd being the highlight of a busy 15-game NBA night. The Bucks do look like world-beaters at the moment, but that’s especially because their early basketball schedule, if not their travel schedule, is quite a trip.

 

Vote, Baby, Vote! Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[AHF]

This is going to be a tough one for sure.  The Bucks look great this year.  Hope OO shows out against Giannis again.

[lethalweapon3]

Trae's still listed as Questionable on the mid-day Injury Report, but this time not for his eye but for a sore shin. Giannis (sore knee) is listed as Probable after getting DNP'd on Saturday.

~lw3

[HawkingAwesome]

gg

[Gray Mule]

Falcons were favored Sunday.  They lost.

Hawks 58.7% - Opponent 41.4%

Please ESPN!  Not another kiss of death!

Hawks do have a chance.  If they can make their shots, they win.  Little things make a big difference.  Example:  Getting the call and hitting those foul shots.  Can't afford to miss a lot of them tonight.

Warning to the Bucks:  Hawks are a bunch of thieves, led by Murray!

[kg01]

Hawks finna hand the Millaukee* Blucks their first L, baybee.

* Notta typo 

[JayBirdHawk]

2 hours ago, AHF said:

This is going to be a tough one for sure.  The Bucks look great this year.  Hope OO shows out against Giannis again.

I wished he played more minutes vs Giannis Last game.

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

That is, if they can figure out how to do so for more than just drips and drabs at a time.

This. We have to makem play at our pace. Just play Hawks ball.

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Jrue Holiday’s wake-up call performance (34 points, 12 assists, 4 steals),

I’ve always slept on Jrue and he always makes me regret it. Him and Middleton are just perfect pieces around the Freak. 

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

22 points despite 1-for-8 3FGs, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals vs. NOP) with his new club.

DejounKidd Murray…  .. what? Everyone else got a crack at the name game. 

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

ahead of next week’s rematch.

Dang again??? Ughh.

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

15-game NBA night.

Yup no games tomorrow. Is 15 a record? Every team plays, I don’t remember the last time that happened, ever.

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Vote, Baby, Vote!

I missed the ballot.  

You da man lw3, gettin us all ready for game #10, I gotta say 7-3 is a lot prettier than 6-4.

GO HAWKS!!!

ps Vegas got Bucks -4  o/u 226.5

 

[Atlantaholic]

Buck gotta lose a game at some point. Might as well be tonight.

[Spud2nique]

56 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Millaukee* Blucks

Is this a part of Bud’s recent interview with the Milwaukee journal sentinel?  (Fanatic Bob gave him a quick swig) 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Spud2nique]

This has got to be Dre’s game. He’s gonna be checked by the likes of Grayson Allen and Thanasis Ant . You were the 4th pick in the draft for a reason Hunter let’s go!!!

Stay within the team game but if he’s got one on one ISO’s with these guys he needs to show us some moves. He’s got a beautiful shot, a good jab step, a strong frame, COMON BABY LETS HAVE A NIGHT D!!!!

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Spud2nique]

Good Lawtttt I hope the Hawks do better than me… close thru 3 then …  Giannis and Portis busted me up for a combined 35 boards with the Freak getting 22..

Got screwed by the refs on a layup before the half by vet George Hill.. 

 

So here what I learned…

The Bucks are:

BIG Keep those giants off the glass (easier said than done).

Don’t get out rebounded like that..

Don’t go 0-19 from 3… 

[Sothron]

Any word if Trae is going to play tonight?

[AHF]

10 minutes ago, Sothron said:

Any word if Trae is going to play tonight?

Dude is a warrior.  I expect he'll be there.

[lethalweapon3]

"Sing it to the world! Sing it out loud! Whoo-hoo! Help me sing it!"

~mjax

[lethalweapon3]

Trae's still Questionable on the 6:30 Boo-Boo Report, which is especially large today given all the teams tipping off soon. Looks like we'll get confirmation on or after pregame shootaround.

EDIT: yup.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

WAR GAMES: Pregame Coach's Edition.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

"Well, fine then, maybe I won't play MY superstar, either. So, there!"

~c0achbud