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2021 ECF. Bucks vs Hawks: UPDATE - - - BUCKS IN SIX

DuWayne Steurer

By DuWayne Steurer,
in Other Sports

adambr2 All-Star

adambr2

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If this were against the Nets even at 2-2 I would say this is over.

 

However, the Hawks are not the Nets, and they have injuries of their own. Maybe, just maybe they can find a way to hold serve at home and take this in 7 games and who knows, maybe get Giannis back down 2-1 in the Finals with a chance.

 

It all starts with Game 5. Barring Giannis somehow being available for Game 6, Game 5 is a must win. This is a defining game for Mike Budenholzer.

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GAME05 ACL Brewers

GAME05

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This is a defining game for Mike Budenholzer.

 

That's a really great point and I couldn't agree more. All the complaints he's taken as well as all the evidence we're all wrong will all be present in Game 5, and all cranked up to 11.

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OldSchoolSnapper Carolina Mudcats

OldSchoolSnapper

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If this were against the Nets even at 2-2 I would say this is over.

 

However, the Hawks are not the Nets, and they have injuries of their own. Maybe, just maybe they can find a way to hold serve at home and take this in 7 games and who knows, maybe get Giannis back down 2-1 in the Finals with a chance.

 

It all starts with Game 5. Barring Giannis somehow being available for Game 6, Game 5 is a must win. This is a defining game for Mike Budenholzer.

 

 

Yeah this is where I am. It's over if they lose tonight, imo. It's a game Bud has to find a way to win after having advanced notice that Giannis can't play and going in with what you'd hope is a different plan.

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MrTPlush Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

MrTPlush

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Defining if they win, maybe. Not sure it really is that defining if he loses a game everyone expects them to lose.

 

Probably more defining for guys like Middleton and Holiday. If they win it will be because those guys step up and will them to victory. Pretty sure we already know what Bud can do, or not do for that matter.

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OldSchoolSnapper Carolina Mudcats

OldSchoolSnapper

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Everyone doesn't expect them to lose. Vegas has the Bucks at -2. I don't know why "everyone" would expect them to lose, they have two all stars and Trae Young is, at a minimum, not healthy if he's even playing. They won six games this season without Giannis, granted it's totally different because they hand-picked those games.

 

You can probably argue legitimately that the Bucks are still in a favorable matchup if both of those guys don't play. I mostly agree though, this really depends on which part of Middleton's Jekyll and Hyde routine you get.

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MrTPlush Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

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Everyone doesn't expect them to lose. Vegas has the Bucks at -2. I don't know why "everyone" would expect them to lose, they have two all stars and Trae Young is, at a minimum, not healthy if he's even playing. They won six games this season without Giannis, granted it's totally different because they hand-picked those games.

 

You can probably argue legitimately that the Bucks are still in a favorable matchup if both of those guys don't play. I mostly agree though, this really depends on which part of Middleton's Jekyll and Hyde routine you get.

 

I guess you could say, no one is going to be even remotely shocked if they lose. Even if they lost the next two, is anyone really surprised? So I don't think losing is much of a defining moment.

 

Unfortunately they probably need Middleton and Holiday to show up in the same game...which sure doesn't seem like it happens very often in the playoffs this year.

 

When Holiday scored 33 in Game 1, Middleton had 15.

 

When Middleton scored 38 in Game 3, Holiday had 6.

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patrickgpe Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

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Vegas favoring the bucks makes me feel better about this. Holiday needs to step up. He has been a disappointment in this series. First 3 games they pretty much did whatever they wanted inside, Sunday not too much even before Giannis got hurt. Portis and Lopez are their really only hopes to do some damage in the paint.

 

They clearly are the better team and have been here before. I think they will rally around Giannis' injury and the home crowd and get a big win today.

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Marc Newfield of Dreams Draft Eligible

Marc Newfield of Dreams

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As much as I dislike watching Pat play defense, I would go the other way and give Lopez's minutes to Portis. Lopez has been a big liability defensively this series. He just isn't quick enough for Atlanta.

 

Depends on how they're gonna play it. Portis has been really poor when they've been switching. Not very good awareness or communication. Brook has his limitations but he reads the game very well.

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adambr2 All-Star

adambr2

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Everyone doesn't expect them to lose. Vegas has the Bucks at -2. I don't know why "everyone" would expect them to lose, they have two all stars and Trae Young is, at a minimum, not healthy if he's even playing. They won six games this season without Giannis, granted it's totally different because they hand-picked those games.

 

You can probably argue legitimately that the Bucks are still in a favorable matchup if both of those guys don't play. I mostly agree though, this really depends on which part of Middleton's Jekyll and Hyde routine you get.

 

I guess you could say, no one is going to be even remotely shocked if they lose. Even if they lost the next two, is anyone really surprised? So I don't think losing is much of a defining moment.

 

It is definitely a defining moment for Budd. He has been a hotbed of criticism, his gameplans are questionable, he has a reputation for not being able to win in the playoffs, and he is probably on the hot seat if the Bucks don't reach the Finals. He is now in a best of 3 without his superstar with his chance to show that he can adjust to this and that the Bucks are more than just Giannis.

 

The Bucks don't need to be favorites or underdogs for this to be a defining moment for Budd. The rest of this series probably determines his future.

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MrTPlush Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

MrTPlush

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If we are depending on a defining moment from Bud, I am off to Vegas to bet on the Hawks. Because I don't see anything changing.

 

If Bud had it in him he would have done it in Game 4 when the Hawks were without Young and we should have crushed them through the crust of the earth. Instead we played from behind the entire game. Instead his team came out like the game barely mattered.

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OldSchoolSnapper Carolina Mudcats

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I think Bud's job is safe. That was probably the worst part of winning the Nets series for me. Somewhere, like 20 pages back, I said Bud should get fired if they win the championship. Of course it wouldn't happen, but I still believe it.

 

He'd have been fired last year if Covid didn't happen assuming they didn't win the East. Don't see them doing it now, not with the Giannis excuse and the best candidate (Carlisle) off the board already.

 

That said...some folks are putting way too much weight on the first half of an NBA game, IMO. If you watch 82 (72) games, you'll see about 30 where the winning teams come out looking like crap and turn it on in the 2nd half. That's the NBA. We have no idea what would have happened in Games 3 or 4 without the Giannis/Young injuries. The Bucks were down 10 in the 3rd; that is a total toss-up in the NBA, and that said I think expecting Bud to pull a rabbit out seconds after Giannis goes down in horrific fashion is a pretty lofty expectation.

 

Tonight, he's had time to plan and put something together, so I would agree that it's something of a defining moment for him. If they lost at home and there's no Young, that's bad.

 

At this point, I think we need to drop the narrative that the Bucks should have crushed ATL through the crust of the Earth without Young. This is a team that is 34-11 since hiring Nate Mac entering the ECF, they are not bad. They were supposed to get swept by the Knicks per ESPN and took out the top seed. They're good, it's time to give them some respect.

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