Trae Young scored a playoff career-high 48 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-113 to win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks. Game 2 is Friday in Milwaukee.
Trailing 98-96, the Bucks went on a 9-0 run to take the lead with under five minutes remaining, but the Hawks stormed back behind Young and John Collins (23 points, 15 rebounds). Clint Capela scored a putback with 29.8 seconds left to give the Hawks a 112-111 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“We’ve got weapons, too,” said Young, who added 11 assists — including an off-the-backboard alley-oop to Collins in the third quarter — and seven rebounds. “They’ve got some good pieces over there, a lot of really talented people, but we do too. I believe in this team.
"I didn't believe we had any kind of ceiling. I think we can go as far as we want to."
Young scored 11 points in fourth quarter, including six from the free throw line in the final 2:21. The Bucks didn't make a field goal in the final 2:08.
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How do the Hawks close games on the road?
Chris Kirschner, Hawks beat writer: Nate McMillan said after Game 7 in Philadelphia that the Hawks have taken on Young’s identity. They're fearless. They're confident. They ooze swag. They believe they can win any single game no matter if they’re labeled underdogs or not.
It’s a special group that feels like there isn’t a ceiling on how far it can go, and that’s what we’re seeing. This was a team that was 14-20 at one point but never stopped believing.
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How do the Bucks adjust to Trae Young?
Eric Nehm, Bucks beat writer: In the first half, it was clear the Bucks were going to give Young looks at his floater while taking everything else away. Then, in the third quarter, he got a couple lobs to the Hawks' big men and hit some 3s. Eventually, he was getting everything he wanted.
To end the game, the Bucks played Antetokounmpo at the five in a small-ball configuration and switched everything defensively. This stagnated the Hawks offense, but the Bucks gave up offensive rebounds in the waning moments.
Going forward, they need to make it tougher on Young by sticking to their game plan better and also executing multiple defensive schemes to give him tougher looks.
(Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images).
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