Atlanta Hawks: 3 Takeaways from Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals

Takeaway from Atlanta Hawks Game 1 win No.2: The offense needs the ball to move even if Young ends up shooting

It’s written simply because it is. The Hawks let the game come to them through three quarters. Even when they struggled to hit shots in the first quarter they were getting good looks. After being scorching hot through three quarters, Young opted for long threes instead early on in the fourth.

What happened next is probably the easiest thing to predict besides the fact there would be a winner and a loser.

The Bucks not only closed the gap, but they also took the lead. One that might make most teams sweat but the Hawks kept their cool. While Young was going through his thing in the final frame, his teammates went 8-of-15.

Young carried the Hawks through three quarters, scoring or assisting on 18 of their 20 points during one particular stretch in the third. In the second half he got help from John Collins and Clint Capela. Collins had 17 of his 23 points in the second half. 10 of those came in the third as he also caught another body while catching an off-the-backboard oop from Young.

Capela — who scored six of his 12 points and eight of his 19 rebounds in the fourth quarter — drew Giannis and just kept doing what he did the last round against Embiid.

The Greek Freak and company got whatever they wanted inside. But Capela just kept grinding away down low and by the end, they didn’t want them anymore. Those shots weren’t falling and they began to settle for jumpers.

Pat Connaughton’s air-balled three near the end of the game was emblematic of Milwaukee’s struggles all game.

The Hawks continued to struggle from outside too, but just made more plays down the stretch after looking like the sluggish team out the gates. It’s the third time this postseason that Atlanta has won the first game in a series.

They obviously won both and nothing we saw on Wednesday suggests this time will be different.