After the Atlanta Hawks pulled off an unexpected upset against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bucks’ aim in Game 5 was to rectify that. They were hoping to bounce back and regain the lead. And fortunately, they did exactly that. In fact, they did it without their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. How exactly did it happen?

Atlanta Hawks at the cusp of elimination

The Bucks lost by a big 110-88 margin in the previous game. However, that wasn’t the only setback they faced as they watched Giannis get a brutal injury on his knee during an alley-oops collision.

As a result, the Atlanta Hawks were able to tie the series 2-2. But Milwaukee has taken back control with their Game 5 123-112 victory.

With Trae Young benched, the Hawks weren’t at their best. But they made great efforts to chase the Bucks’ lead and Bogdan Bogdanovic worked hard throughout to reduce the deficit.

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However, every time it seemed like Atlanta was going to work their way back, Bucks pulled of something crazy and extended their lead further.

The Bucks proved how much they can get done as long as they play freely. Even though a lot of pressure was placed on Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday in the absence of Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez was the player who showed up when Milwaukee needed him most.

This crucial win for the Bucks has the NBA fraternity reacting like crazy on Twitter.

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Can the Milwaukee Bucks finish this off in Game 6?

The fate of both the teams rests on their superstar player’s playing status. It seems like the Bucks won’t rush back Giannis Antetokounmpo unless absolutely necessary. Milwaukee will only be concerned if the Hawks have Trae back on the court in Game 6.

Otherwise, the Bucks are holding the fort well in Giannis’ absence. As long as Middleton and Holiday continue to play well on both ends, they can easily become Eastern Conference champions.

Middleton ended Game 5 with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. Jrue, on the other hand, finished with 25 points and 13 assists.

Even Bobby Portis made his contribution by adding 22 points. But the man of the match was Brook Lopez who stepped up and recorded a whopping 33-point performance.

The double-digit scorers on the Hawks were Bogdanovic, Lou Williams, Danilo Gallinari, and John Collins. But it wasn’t enough. Unless the Hawks step up, the Bucks are likely to send them packing after Game 6. Do you think they can take this series to a Game 7? Or is Trae’s expertise of utmost importance to pull that off?

READ MORE: Giannis Antetokounmpo Knee Injury History Timeline