Struggling groups, every on a three-game dropping streak, will attempt to discover their footing when the Milwaukee Bucks go to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday afternoon as a part of the league’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities.
The Bucks final performed on Thursday after they have been routed 119-101 by San Antonio, a loss that got here on the heels of a 139-106 defeat to Minnesota. Milwaukee has fallen into eleventh place within the Japanese Convention standings.
The Hawks have been trounced 132-106 by Boston on Saturday and dropped their final three by a mean of twenty-two.3 factors. Atlanta is presently No. 10 within the East, 1 1/2 video games forward of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers mentioned it is too early to panic and fear about lacking the playoffs.
“I believe individuals on the surface have a look at that greater than the gamers, truthfully,” Rivers mentioned. “We have half a yr left. I believe they’re attempting to get proper. We’re what, two video games, one recreation from the play-in? It is a complete half-a-season left, so I do not see that in any respect with us.”
Atlanta coach Quin Snyder echoed these ideas about his personal crew.
“You do not need to get into ‘the sky is falling,'” Snyder mentioned. “This adversity is one thing we have to make use of. I believe formulaically it is a good factor. There are issues that we all know if we do, that we’ll be higher.”
The Hawks try to weave two newcomers into the rotation. CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, acquired within the commerce that despatched Trae Younger to Washington, have performed 4 video games with Atlanta. McCollum is averaging 17 factors and three.8 assists and Kispert is at 10 factors with their new crew.
“We’re integrating a few new guys on the fly and that is one thing we’d like to concentrate on,” Snyder mentioned. “Often while you do this, there are stretches which are like this the place both participant would not fairly perceive what we’re doing. It is not ordinary and we now have to search out that interplay on the fly.”
The dropping streak additionally coincides with Jalen Johnson’s offensive drop-off. He totaled 37 factors during the last three video games, far beneath his season common of twenty-two.8.
The Bucks proceed to be led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averages 28.8 factors, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
San Antonio held him to 21 factors, 5 rebounds and one help in Thursday’s blowout, which Milwaukee trailed by as many as 39 within the fourth quarter. Antetokounmpo subbed out of the sport for good with greater than 16 minutes remaining.
“It was simply two unhealthy days,” Antetokounmpo mentioned of the crew’s droop. “The perfect gamers come again. We have simply obtained to maneuver the ball higher and knock down our threes. In case you knock one down, rapidly it is a totally different recreation. You play higher protection, the ball is shifting.”
That is the thirty fifth time the Hawks have performed on MLK Day, second solely to New York. Atlanta — Dr. King’s hometown — is 23-11 and misplaced 119-110 to the Knicks final yr at Madison Sq. Backyard.
It’s the first of three conferences between the Hawks and Bucks. Atlanta gained three of 5 final season.
–Area Degree Media
