2021 Playoffs: East Final | Bucks (3) vs. Hawks (5)

Tune-In Tidbits: Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5

Get ready for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on TNT with five key stats to know about the Bucks-Hawks matchup.

Lou Williams finished with 21 points and eight assists in his first career postseason start as he filled in for the injured Trae Young in Game 4.

Game 5: Hawks at Bucks
8:30 p.m. ET, TNT | Series Tied 2-2

• Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful for Game 5 after suffering a hyperextended knee in Game 4. In this series, the Bucks are a team-best +29 in Giannis’ 135 minutes on the court and and a team-worst -9 in his 57 minutes off the court. Giannis leads the Bucks in scoring (26.5 ppg), rebounding (10.0 rpg), steals (1.5 spg) and field goal percentage (60.8%) and is tied for the lead in blocks (1.0 bpg) and third in assists (5.5 apg) in this series despite leaving Game 4 after 24 minutes.

• The Hawks may be without Trae Young for the second straight game as he is listed as questionable for Game 5 with a bone bruise in his foot. Without Young in Game 4, the Hawks tapped veteran sixth man Lou Williams to make his first postseason start in 87 career playoff games. He responded with a game-high 21 points, a team-high eight assists and five rebounds in 35 minutes; it was his first career playoff game with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

• Jrue Holiday did his job defensively by locking up Atlanta’s top scorer, holding Williams to zero field goal attempts and only two free throws for two points (9.5% of his total) in 5:35 (45.4% of his offensive matchup time). Williams did the majority of his damage against P.J. Tucker (seven points on 2-2 FG, 1-1 3P, 2-2 FT in 1:11 of matchup time) and Brook Lopez (four points on 2-3 FG in 0:43).

• The Bucks finished the regular season ranked fifth out of 30 teams in 3-point percentage (38.9%). That mark has steadily fallen throughout the postseason: 32.7% in the first round (14th of 16 teams), 30.1% in the conference semifinals (8th of 8 teams) and 29.0% in the conference finals (4th of 4 teams). The Bucks shot just 8-39 (20.5%) from beyond the arc in Game 4 – their fourth-lowest percentage of the postseason – with their top two scorers without Giannis (Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday) combining for 2-14 from 3-point range as each shot 6-17 from the field. If Giannis is unable to play and provide his 21.5 points in the paint per game, the Bucks will need to find ways to make up that scoring production.

• Bogdan Bogdanovic found his 3-point shot in Game 4 as he connected on six 3s in 14 attempts (42.9%) after making shooting just 5-30 (16.7%) from beyond the arc in his previous six games combined. Over the past three months (since April 1, regular season and playoffs), Bogdanovic has made 139 3-pointers, which ranks second only to Golden State’s Stephen Curry’s 161. During that stretch, Bogdanovic is shooting 42.6% from 3-point range.

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