The Hawks have shocked everyone to make it this deep into the postseason, and they’re well worth backing in this first game of the Eastern Conference Finals against Milwaukee.
Atlanta has gone 1-0 up on the road in both of its playoff series so far, beating the Knicks 107-105 in New York and the 76ers 128-124 in Philadelphia. They’ve gone 5-2 on the road in the postseason.
The Bucks have been dominant at home in the playoffs but did fall 2-0 behind against the Brooklyn Nets in the last round, and they probably wouldn’t have reached this stage if the Nets’ superstar trio had all stayed healthy.
The Hawks won’t be intimidated by the atmosphere in Milwaukee after they eliminated the 76ers on the road, and their energy and grit should be enough to at least keep this game close.
The Hawks’ last four games against the 76ers all went under 215 total points, and it’s safe to expect a defensive battle when they face the Bucks.
Six of the seven games in Milwaukee’s series against the Nets went under 225 points, with the only exception being the 115-111 overtime win in Game 7, which saw 218 points scored in regulation.
Giannis Antetokounmpo under 33.5 points
Antetokounmpo has averaged 28.8 points per game during the 2021 postseason, and although he’s scored 30+ in five straight games it’s worth remembering he faced criticism after struggling early in the series against the Nets.
The two-time league MVP scored 27, 15 and 31 in three regular season games against the Hawks, and this line looks just too high for this game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo under 5.5 assists
While Antetokounmpo has incredible ball-handling and playmaking skills for his size, the 26-year-old was much more focused on scoring than anything else offensively in the series against the Nets.
He didn’t tally six assists in any of the seven games against Brooklyn, and only reached five once – in the OT Game 7.