Will this wonderful run by the Atlanta Hawks end here in the NBA playoffs, or will Trae Young & & Co. pull off yet another upset against the Milwaukee Bucks?Its an Eastern Conference matchup no one forecasted, with the upstart Hawks– famously 14-20 before calling Nate McMillan the interim head coach and jump-starting their run to the playoffs– handling two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who needed overtime in Game 7 to overcome the Brooklyn Nets.What can Young and the Hawks do on offense against the best defense in the league? Does Atlanta have a response for Giannis?Our experts break down each teams path to the series and the secrets that might choose who reaches the NBA Finals.MORE: Full NBA playoffs schedule, results and newsHow the Bucks got here: The Bucks invested the previous seven months building up to the point where, when they entered into the crucible of a hard playoff series, they would have the means to stroll out the opposite victorious.They traded for point player Jrue Holiday in the offseason and P.J. Tucker at the due date, adding both protective versatility and strength. They invested the season experimenting more with different lineups and styles to have different options to throw at opponents in the postseason.And, eventually, Milwaukee discovers itself hosting Atlanta on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals due to the fact that it showed to have just enough to do that.It took every ounce of what the Bucks had– plus some essential injuries to the Nets, and Kevin Durant using a shoe an additional size too big– for Milwaukee to escape from its heart-stopping Eastern Conference semifinal series versus Brooklyn, winning Game 7 on the roadway in overtime Saturday night.play3:08 The Bucks and Nets go down to the wire in a wild 4th quarter and overtime as Milwaukee comes out on leading and advances to the Eastern Conference finals.Things appeared like they might be entirely different for the Bucks this season when, after enduring another overtime thriller to begin the playoffs with a victory over the Miami Heat– the group that humbled them in the NBAs bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort last summertime– Milwaukee clobbered Miami over the next three video games to sweep the Heat out of the playoffs.It was a dominant performance, and unexpectedly so, given the Heat were a popular upset choice. It gave Milwaukee plenty of momentum going into its series with Brooklyn.Then, 43 seconds into the Eastern Conference semifinals, James Harden limped off the Barclays Center court with a hamstring pressure, removing one of Brooklyns Big Three from the formula. Not just did the Nets make it through Game 1 with a win, they annihilated the Bucks in Game 2, sending them home facing the genuine possibility of all of the work the group had done to prepare for this moment going for naught.Milwaukee held serve at house, however, night the series at 2 video games apiece, and the Nets caught another bad break when Kyrie Irving sprained his best ankle in Game 4. Still, Brooklyn pressed Milwaukee to the brink as soon as again in Game 5, thanks to the combination of Harden making a stunning go back to the court (and playing 46 minutes) and Durant assembling an efficiency that triggered Antetokounmpo to call Durant “the finest player worldwide.” Milwaukee Bucks (BPI chances vs. ATL: 85%) NBA rank2020-21 record46-267thOffensive rating116.55 thDefensive rating110.79 thBut after suffering the type of heartbreak that would have broken prior Bucks groups, Milwaukee revealed precisely why it had actually spent all that time structure. The Bucks went back home and won yet once again on their house court in Game 6, just to come back several times in that Game 7 to just barely make it through another magnificent Durant performance, a quite special among his own from Antetokounmpo and some timely shot-making from Khris Middleton and Holiday.Now, largely healthy– conserve for Donte DiVincenzo, out for the playoffs after ankle surgical treatment– Milwaukee is the favorite to win its first NBA title in a half-century. Initially, though, the Bucks will need to get past the upstart Hawks, which would get them into the Finals for the very first time since 1975.– Tim BontempsHow the Hawks got here: The fifth-seeded Hawks just will not disappear. It resembled that in their first-round matchup versus the New York Knicks and it continued into their series against the Philadelphia 76ers. It took them seven video games, however they were able to come away with three roadway victories over the Sixers to advance to just their 2nd conference finals in 50 seasons.Trae Young continued his stellar play in the playoffs, balancing 29.0 points– nearly twice as lots of as John Collins (15.1 ), who was 2nd on the team– as well as 10.9 helps. Young ended up being the very first gamer in NBA history to have 12 successive championship game with a minimum of 20 points and seven assists. He did so in his first 12 playoff video games ever. Rather the start.Collins play has also been very important for Atlanta throughout the playoffs. All 3 video games that Collins has actually scored in single digits in the playoffs, the Hawks have lost. Against the Sixers, Collins also came away with 10.0 rebounds per game.play2:17 Trae Young and the Hawks last longer than the 76ers in Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals vs. the Bucks.Prior to the series versus Philadelphia, it was revealed forward DeAndre Hunter was going to miss the remainder of the playoffs since of a torn meniscus that required surgery. With Hunter out, the Hawks initially opted for Solomon Hill in the beginning lineup prior to proceeding to Kevin Huerter.It was Huerter who showed up the biggest in Atlantas series-clinching win in Game 7. After going scoreless in Game 5 in Philadelphia just two video games prior, Huerter chose a playoff-career-high 27 points in the very same structure where he set his profession high (29) as a novice in 2018-19. Huerter said Joel Embiid even joked with him throughout Game 7 about how well he plays at the Wells Fargo Center.Atlanta Hawks (BPI chances vs. MIL: 15%) NBA rank2020-21 record41-31T-11thOffensive rating114.39 thDefensive rating112.118 thAlong with Young, Collins and Huerter, the Hawks continued to get double-digit scoring efforts in the series from Danilo Gallinari (14.7 ), Bogdan Bogdanovic (13.3) and Clint Capela (10.6)– that doesnt even consist of Lou Williams, who averaged double digits in 24 regular-season video games with Atlanta and had 13 second-half points in a crucial Game 5 win over Philly.So while Atlanta will once again attempt to lean on Young, the balanced effort behind him will be the Hawks best bet if they wish to make their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1961.– Andrew LopezSeries secrets: The Bucks Trae stopper, and why the Hawks need to grow downtownIn his only matchup against Milwaukee this season on April 15, Young had probably his worst video game of the season: 3-for-17 from the flooring– 0-for-3 from beyond the arc– with six turnovers. The Hawks lost at home by 11 points.What taken place? Jrue Holiday happened.The Bucks acquired Holiday in part for his exceptional defense, and if he can even decrease Young in this series, Milwaukee will have a fantastic chance of going to the Finals. Dollars fans have reasons to be confident here.If that April matchup was an indicator of things to come, Milwaukee is sitting pretty. According to Second Spectrum tracking, Holiday compared on Young 48 times in that video game, and Young managed just five points in those matchups. Young had the ability to get his floater four times in that video game with Holiday as his protector, however he missed out on all of them. All informed, Young is 1-for-10 in his profession when Holiday has actually been the closest protector on his shots.Those dreadful numbers for Young are not sustainable, but they are a fantastic sign for the Bucks.If Jrue Holiday can restrict Trae Young on offense, the Hawks will be in difficulty. EPA/ERIK S. LESSERSimply put, there is no way Atlanta wins this series unless Young is setting up numbers. Even if he does, the Hawks still have their work cut out for them. In spite of playing their very first 2 series versus the safeguarding Eastern Conference champ Heat and Kevin Durants Nets, the Bucks still boast the very best protective score among all postseason teams, providing up just 102.8 points per 100 possessions.Scoring on the Bucks is a tall order, but if you can make threes, you can do it. Milwaukee is popular for quiting tidy appearances from downtown, and when opponents make the most of that, they can beat the Bucks. Thats a concept that has shown real in these playoffs: The Bucks are 7-0 in the postseason when their challengers hit 12 or fewer 3-pointers; they are 1-3 when they make more.The bad news is that the Hawks offense has crossed that specific threshold simply three times this postseason, and with Bogdan Bogdanovics status unpredictable, and with DeAndre Hunter on the shelf, Atlanta will need players such as Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari and naturally Young to provide this group with both high volume and dependable efficiency from downtown.If those shooters can knock down lots of 3s, the Hawks can contend. If not, Milwaukee will go to the Finals.– Kirk Goldsberry

They invested the season experimenting more with various lineups and designs to have different choices to throw at challengers in the postseason.And, eventually, Milwaukee finds itself hosting Atlanta on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals due to the fact that it showed to have just enough to do that.It took every ounce of what the Bucks had– plus some key injuries to the Nets, and Kevin Durant wearing a shoe an additional size too huge– for Milwaukee to get away from its heart-stopping Eastern Conference semifinal series versus Brooklyn, winning Game 7 on the roadway in overtime Saturday night.play3:08 The Bucks and Nets go down to the wire in a wild 4th quarter and overtime as Milwaukee comes out on leading and advances to the Eastern Conference finals.Things looked like they may be totally different for the Bucks this season when, after surviving another overtime thriller to begin the playoffs with a success over the Miami Heat– the group that humbled them in the NBAs bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort last summertime– Milwaukee clobbered Miami over the next three games to sweep the Heat out of the playoffs.It was a dominant efficiency, and suddenly so, given the Heat were a popular upset pick. Not only did the Nets make it through Game 1 with a win, they annihilated the Bucks in Game 2, sending them house facing the genuine possibility of all of the work the team had done to prepare for this moment going for naught.Milwaukee held serve at house, however, night the series at two video games apiece, and the Nets captured another bad break when Kyrie Irving sprained his best ankle in Game 4. The Bucks went back home and won yet once again on their house court in Game 6, only to come back a number of times in that Game 7 to simply barely survive another magnificent Durant efficiency, a quite unique one of his own from Antetokounmpo and some prompt shot-making from Khris Middleton and Holiday.Now, mainly healthy– conserve for Donte DiVincenzo, out for the playoffs after ankle surgical treatment– Milwaukee is the favorite to win its very first NBA title in a half-century. After going scoreless in Game 5 in Philadelphia just two video games prior, Huerter went for a playoff-career-high 27 points in the same building where he set his profession high (29) as a rookie in 2018-19. Huerter said Joel Embiid even joked with him throughout Game 7 about how well he plays at the Wells Fargo Center.Atlanta Hawks (BPI chances vs. MIL: 15%) NBA rank2020-21 record41-31T-11thOffensive rating114.39 thDefensive rating112.118 thAlong with Young, Collins and Huerter, the Hawks continued to get double-digit scoring efforts in the series from Danilo Gallinari (14.7 ), Bogdan Bogdanovic (13.3) and Clint Capela (10.6)– that doesnt even include Lou Williams, who balanced double digits in 24 regular-season video games with Atlanta and had 13 second-half points in an essential Game 5 win over Philly.So while Atlanta will when again attempt to lean on Young, the well balanced effort behind him will be the Hawks finest bet if they desire to make their very first trip to the NBA Finals given that 1961.