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Giannis Antetokounmpo Officially Out For Game 6

July 3rd, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will officially miss Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Hawks tonight with a left knee hyperextension, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

Antetokounmpo first suffered the injury in the second half of Game 4, an eventual 110-88 Atlanta victory.

The Bucks initially listed Antetokounmpo as doubtful to suit up for tonight’s game, though there appears to be growing optimism that, should the series require a Game 7 (Milwaukee currently leads 3-2), the All-NBA First Teamer could become available.

The status of Hawks star point guard Trae Young, sidelined with a right foot bone bruise suffered in Game 3 of the series, is still up in the air.

Without Antetokounmpo for a second of Game 5 on Wednesday, the Bucks held off the Hawks sans Young, winning 123-112.

Milwaukee is on the cusp of its first NBA Finals appearance in 47 years, and a victory in either of the next two games will clinch a matchup against the Suns, who defeated the Clippers in six games on the other side of the playoff bracket.

McMillan Has Made Connections With Players

July 2nd, 2021 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nate McMillan has far exceeded all expectations as the Hawks’ interim coach and Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal Constitution notes how the veteran coach has connected with his players in ways that previous coach Lloyd Pierce failed to do.

Antetokounmpo Doubtful to Play In Game 6; Young Listed As Questionable

July 2nd, 2021 at 6:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:08pm: It’s believed the Bucks would give Antetokounmpo the green light to play in Game 7 if he sits out on Saturday and the Hawks win, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

4:33pm: Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is once again listed as doubtful to play as the team attempts to clinch the Eastern Conference Finals in Atlanta on Saturday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Hawks star guard Trae Young is listed as questionable to play in Game 6 by his team with the season on the line, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

With both of the teams’ top players sitting out, Milwaukee took a 3-2 lead in the series with a 123-112 win on Thursday. Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextension of his left knee in Game 4, while Young sustained a right foot bone bruise in Game 3.

Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic, who scored a team-high 28 points in Game 5, is listed as probable despite right knee soreness.

Trae Young Won’t Play In Game 5; Capela To Suit Up

July 1st, 2021 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

6:17pm: Young “just didn’t feel comfortable enough to go tonight,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said. Center Clint Capela, who was listed as questionable, will play, according to Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links).

5:46pm: Hawks star point guard Trae Young won’t play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks tonight, Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews of ESPN tweet.

Young is hopeful of playing in Game 6 in Atlanta on Saturday. Young also missed Game 4, a 110-88 Hawks victory, due to a right foot bone bruise.

He was listed as questionable to play in Game 5 but obviously the injury hasn’t healed sufficiently for Young to suit up. He was injured in Game 3 after stepping on an official’s foot.

Both teams will be missing their best player in the pivotal game of a series tied at two games apiece. Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out earlier in the day after hyperextending his left knee in Game 4.

Hawks’ Young, Capela Listed As Questionable For Game 5

June 30th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks guard Trae Young and center Clint Capela are listed as questionable for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.

Young missed Game 4 on Tuesday with a right foot bone bruise, so the questionable tag should give Hawks fans some hope he’ll return to action in the pivotal game of the series. Atlanta’s 110-88 victory in Game 4 knotted the series at 2-2.

Capela is dealing with right eye inflammation. He caught an elbow from Bucks guard Sam Merrill in the late going, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. He contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes during Game 4.

Additionally, Bogdan Bogdanovic is listed as probable despite right knee soreness, Spencer adds.

The Bucks are likely to be without their star. Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful after suffering a hyperextension of his left knee in Game 4. An MRI revealed no structural damage.

Giannis Has No Structural Damage In Knee, Doubtful For Game 5

June 30th, 2021 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

4:02pm: Antetokounmpo has been listed as doubtful for Game 5, according to the Bucks (Twitter link). The team added in a press release that today’s MRI on Giannis’ knee confirmed the original diagnosis of a hyperextension.

3:24pm: Further testing on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s injured left knee revealed no structural damage, according to Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). His ligaments are sound, sources tell ESPN’s duo.

That’s great news for the Bucks and Antetokounmpo, who was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee after falling awkwardly during Game 4 on Tuesday. However, the two-time MVP’s timetable to return remains unclear, per Lowe and Wojnarowski.

Both Antetokounmpo and Hawks star Trae Young are dealing with injuries and haven’t yet been cleared to play in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday. We should learn more about their respective statuses either later today or early tomorrow.

The Bucks, who are already down one starter (Donte DiVincenzo), will have to lean more heavily on stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday if Giannis is unable to play on Thursday in Milwaukee. Brook Lopez and/or Bobby Portis could also be asked to play a larger role in the frontcourt.

Hawks Notes: Young, Capela, Williams

June 30th, 2021 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

Atlanta won Game 4 vs. the Bucks in convincing fashion on Tuesday night, even without Trae Young in the lineup. Still, to maximize their chances of winning two more games and advancing to the NBA Finals, the Hawks would love to get their leading scorer back sooner rather than later.

Head coach Nate McMillan didn’t have a concrete update for reporters this morning on Young’s status, but said after Tuesday’s game that he suspects the star guard will ultimately be a game-time decision on Thursday, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). Young is dealing with a bone bruise in his right foot.

Here’s more on the Hawks:

Starting center Clint Capela, who took an elbow to the eye late in Tuesday’s win, saw the team ophthalmologist after the game and is being re-evaluated on Wednesday, according to Bontemps (Twitter link). Sources tell ESPN that there’s optimism within the organization that Capela avoided a major injury and should be available for Game 5.
When he was traded from the Clippers to the Hawks in March, Lou Williams felt like he was being sent from a title contender to a sixth-place team, and contemplated retirement. Three months later, he found himself taking Young’s place in the starting lineup on Tuesday and helping lead new team to a win in a huge Eastern Conference Finals game. “We’re enjoying the ride. We feel like we deserve to be here. We’ve earned the right to be here, and at the same time we’re enjoying it,” Williams said, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “Did I look ahead and say we can be a championship contender day one? Probably not. But we’re two wins away like everybody else, and we feel good about it.”
For more out of Atlanta, be sure to follow our Hawks team page.

Antetokounmpo Leaves Game Four With Knee Injury

June 29th, 2021 at 9:53pm CST by Eli Cohen

Giannis Antetokounmpo left Game Four of the Bucks‘ series with the Hawks in the third quarter after injuring his left knee. He did not return to the game.

The initial diagnosis is a hyperextended knee, according to the Bucks, but more tests are likely to come to determine the extent of the injury and a potential return timeline.

Antetokounmpo had to be carried off the court by his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo before walking the rest of the way himself. He initially returned to the bench before heading back to the locker room and being ruled out for the rest of the game. GM Jon Horst headed to the tunnel as well, tweets Ben Golliver of the Washington Post.

Hawks guard Trae Young missed Game Four altogether due to a foot injury, so neither Atlanta nor Milwaukee is assured of having its star player available for Game Five on Thursday. The Hawks’ win on Tuesday has evened the series at two games apiece.

Trae Young Out For Game Four

June 29th, 2021 at 6:35pm CST by Eli Cohen

Hawks star Trae Young has been ruled out for Game Four, report ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews.

According to Andrews and Wojnarowski, Young made every effort to be ready to play, but was hampered by a severe lack of mobility and amount of pain. The star point guard suffered a bone bruise and tweaked ankle in Game Three loss to the Bucks when he stepped on the foot of a referee while trying to get back on defense.

Young had previously gone through shoot-around, and had “looked good,” according to teammate Onyeka Okongwu. With the Hawks down two games to one in the series against the Bucks, this news comes as a devastating blow. Young’s availability for future games remains in question. He will continue to rehab and hopes to be ready for Game Five, tweets Wojnarowski.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has been hampered with right knee soreness, is available to play.

Young "Looking Good" Ahead of Game 4; Collins' Free Agency

June 29th, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Eli Cohen

Hawks star Trae Young is “looking good” ahead of tonight’s game, says back-up center Onyeka Okongwu, as tweeted by Bally Sports Hawks. Young suffered a bone bruise in his right foot as well as a tweaked ankle after stepping on the foot of a referee in the third quarter of Game Three’s loss to the Bucks and was subsequently listed as “questionable” by the team.

Young has been resilient in these playoffs, battling through a shoulder injury in his series with the Sixers. With the Hawks down two games to one to the Bucks, his status for Game Four will be crucial to the team’s hopes of evening the series out.

John Collins‘ restricted free agency has loomed over the Hawks throughout this post-season, but general manager Travis Schlenk re-affirmed the team’s commitment to him on The Jim Rome Show last week, calling Collins “the heart and soul of the team,” writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic in his profile of Collins. Within that piece, Kirschner discusses Collins struggle to find happiness after growing up a troubled kid. “I feel like happiness has always been inside me, but I wasn’t necessarily as happy as I am now,” Collins said. “And it took me some time to realize that.”