Atlanta Hawks Game Preview: March 24th at Milwaukee Bucks

The Atlanta Hawks face a huge Friday night showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks. Can they finally secure a win without Paul Millsap?

The Atlanta Hawks need a win in the worst way. They have lost their last five games and are dangerously close to falling towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race. They have played their last three games without Paul Millsap, and face a fifth straight without him Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks have lifted themselves up the standings in the last few months. They’ve gone from lottery bound to a likely playoff team. It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Jason Kidd‘s squad, but they aren’t finished just yet.

They come into tonight’s game at 36-35, just a single game behind the Hawks for fifth place in the East. And with Paul Millsap out of the lineup for Atlanta, the Bucks should come away with a win rather easily. Of course, they still have to play the game.

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2016-17 has been the season of the “Greek Freak”. This season, Giannis Antetokounmpo has asserted himself as a superstar in the making. Heck, he’s probably already a superstar. Okay, he’s definitely a superstar.

Antetokounmpo has played 70 games this season and is averaging 23 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 52.3 percent shooting. He started the All-Star Game for the Eastern Conference and puts on a show every night that even non-basketball fans can appreciate. We’ve never seen anything like Giannis before.

His long strides to the rim, thunderous dunks, and otherworldly passes make every Giannis outing a must see event. He’s led the Bucks through some significant adversity this season. The team lost Khris Middleton to injury before the season even started, robbing them of one of their best players.

Shortly after Middleton returned, Jabari Parker would fall victim to a season ending injury. Parker had been establishing himself as a dangerous second scoring option at the time of the injury, Robin to Giannis’ Batman. It looked like a devastating blow to their playoff chances. The constant through it all has been Giannis. Without his consistently brilliant play, this team would not be in the position they are in today.

Speaking of Middleton, he’s been outstanding since his return from a torn hamstring. Middleton has played in just 19 games, but he’s averaging 15.4 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting and 48.3 percent from three-point range. He also provides great defense on the wing. Imagine a hyper-efficient Joe Johnson that plays good defense. That’s Khris Middleton.

The Bucks deploy an interesting big-man rotation comprised of Greg Monroe, Spencer Hawes, John Henson, and Thon Maker. Mirza Teletovic also sees minutes as a stretch-four. Maker has been starting lately, but still plays just 8.2 minutes per night. Monroe is the story in the frontcourt. He’s had a bounce back season after a tough 2015-16.

Monroe is playing the best defense of his career and averages 11.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game off the bench. One of the big questions of the summer for Milwaukee will be whether or not Monroe exercises his player option for next season. At this point, they’d probably like to see him return.

Related Story: Millsap Out Friday

Rookie Malcolm Brogdon has been a revelation this season. The former Virginia Cavalier was drafted 36th overall by the Bucks and looks like the steal of the 2016 NBA Draft. Brogdon has started 22 of the 69 games he has played and is averaging 10 points and 4.1 assists per game on 45.1 percent shooting and 40.6 percent from long-range. He’s much better than Matthew Dellavedova, who has had a rough season after signing a 4-year deal with Milwaukee last summer.

Tony Snells rounds out the names you need to know. He was acquired just before the regular season in a deal that sent Michael Carter-Williams to the Chicago Bulls. Snell has been a solid addition to Milwaukee and is shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range on 4.4 attempts per game.

The Hawks and Bucks have already played three times this season. The Hawks have won each time. The most recent contest came on Jan. 15 in Atlanta. The Hawks had one of their rare offensive performances where they light the nets on fire from every spot on the floor.

Atlanta shot 52.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from outside. Kent Bazemore and Mike Dunleavy Jr. led them with 24 points and 20 points respectively. Paul Millsap had well-rounded performance, ending his night with 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

Milwaukee didn’t exactly struggle offensively. They shot 49.4 percent from the field, but just 31.6 percent from three-point distance. Giannis finished with 33 points on 13-for-22 shooting, but he didn’t get much help from is teammates. Greg Monroe added 13 points off the bench, while Jabari Parker struggled to finish with eight points on 4-for-9 shooting.

Things have changed since that last meeting. Both teams have seen their roller-coaster seasons take turns they never expected. Now, here they are, separated by just a single game in the standings with 11 games remaining

Without Paul Millsap in the lineup, the Bucks should be heavily favored in this game. The Hawks are 0-6 on the season without Millsap. Without him their offense and their defense is significantly worse. They look like a lottery team.

Daily Fantasy Basketball Projections by numberFire

Projections from numberFire give the Bucks a 59.26 percent chance to beat Atlanta on Friday. The Bucks are just flat out better than the Hawks when Atlanta is missing Millsap and Kent Bazemore.

Atlanta’s depth has been killed by these injuries, and I’m not sure that they have the personnel to slow down Giannis and Middleton. It could be a long night for Hawks fans.

Next: Each Atlanta Hawk's Best NCAA Tournament Performance

Who: Atlanta Hawks (37-34) @ Milwaukee Bucks (36-35)

When: 8:00 PM EST, Friday, March 24th, 2017

Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center

How: Fox Sports Southeast/NBA TV

Prediction: Bucks: 98 Hawks: 91

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