Milwaukee Bucks did exactly what they needed to do against the Hawks in Game 5. They introduced Bobby Portis to fill in for the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo and that boy delivered. The Bucks surprised the Fiserv Forum with a crazy 30-10 beginning even as they lacked their fearless canon in the Freak.

On the other hand, the Hawks, as good as they played from beyond the arc, failed to tackle the traffic. They had Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring clutch threes with a supportive bench but nothing that could cut the lead. Now, as Atlanta trails 2-3 for the first time in the playoffs 2021, is there a way they can force Game 7?

Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks: Injury updates and lineup prediction

For the Hawks, the injury list is longer at the wrong time of the season. They already had Brandon Goodwin (respiratory condition) and DeAndre Hunter (knee surgery) out for the season. Now, they have Bogdan Bogdanovic yet again as a day-to-day decision, as has been the case for a large part of the series. Plus, their star point guard and scoring leader Trae Young (bone bruise) is a game-time decision. 

Probable starting five – Kevin Huerter (F), John Collins (F), Clint Capela (C), Bogdan Bogdanovic (SG), and Lou Williams (PG)

For the Bucks, Donte DiVincenzo (foot surgery) was already out. But Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Game 4 injury is set to keep him a doubtful name for Game 6. The star endured a hyperextended left knee in Game 4 and limped his way out of the game.

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Potential starting lineup – PJ Tucker (F), Bobby Portis (F), Brook Lopez (C), Khris Middleton (G), and Jrue Holiday (G)

Read more – All You Need to Know About the Famous Family of Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo

Who wins?

The Bucks saw two of their players, Brook Lopez (33) and Bobby Portis (22) scoring their respective career’s playoff-high scores in Game 5. Their starting five combined for 111 points, just one shy of the Hawks’ total 112 points. Thanks to Brook, the Bucks were a dominant force inside the paint as he kept knocking down dunks even as the Bucks had a convincing lead going into the last two minutes.

For the Hawks, Danilo Gallinari led the bench with 19 points as Kevin Huerter and Clint Capela took care of the defense. However, the absence of Trae Young meant that they lacked a player with great athleticism, tight offense, foul-drawing ability, and float/pullup scoring. Now, in Game 6, although they’ll have a home court advantage, they’d not want to see a grimacing Trae play for them. 

So unless Trae is good enough to take those jumpers without hesitation, it’ll be Bogdan and the team against a starting roster with All-Star guards. We predict that the Bucks will close the series and move to the finals on Saturday.

Watch this story – Giannis Antetokounmpo Dunk and Other Game 4 Highlights