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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.”

Draft Notes: Pelicans, Giddey, Murphy, Duarte, Thor

June 29th, 2021 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

There’s a belief that the Pelicans won’t be especially eager to add another rookie to an already young roster, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link), who says the No. 10 pick in next month’s draft, currently held by New Orleans, is considered one of the most available in the lottery.

Within his latest mock draft, Givony also provides some intel on some other picks at the top of the draft, confirming that the Pistons are looking hard at Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, though most executives anticipate they’ll select Cade Cunningham. According to Givony, NBA teams don’t have a good feel for which direction the Rockets will go at No. 2, since the new front office doesn’t have an extensive track record. For now, Givony believes Green would be the pick for Houston over Mobley.

Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft, which is exactly one month away:

In a separate Insider-only story for ESPN, Givony and Mike Schmitz break down the winners and losers of last week’s draft combine, noting that Australian prospect Josh Giddey was generating plenty of buzz despite not even attending the event in Chicago. James Bouknight, Sharife Cooper, and Trey Murphy were among the other projected first-round picks receiving positive feedback.
Speaking of Murphy, he has worked out for the Celtics and Spurs so far in the pre-draft process, as he told reporters. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington has the story on the Virginia forward whose draft stock is on the rise.
The “rumor in Chicago” was that Oregon’s Chris Duarte, who pulled out of the draft combine, has received a guarantee early in the second round, per Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Potential first-round pick JT Thor of Auburn is working out for the Pacers, Hornets, Hawks, and Pelicans between now and July 6, as Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report details (Twitter link).

Trae Young Questionable For Game 4 Due To Bone Bruise

June 28th, 2021 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

1:48pm: After undergoing an MRI, Young has been diagnosed with a bone bruise to his right foot, the Hawks announced today in a press release. He’ll be listed as questionable for Game 4 on Tuesday, per the team.

8:19am: Hawks star Trae Young said after Sunday’s game that he will undergo an MRI on his injured right ankle on Monday, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes.

Young accidentally stepped on referee Sean Wright’s foot late in the third quarter, turning his ankle in the process. The third-year guard left the game and was diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Although he was able to return to action in the fourth quarter, Young admitted to reporters after the game that the injury was bothering him.

“It’s sore right now,” he said, per Bontemps. “… It’s hurting a little bit and it’s sore. I got some treatment on it. I’m going to go get some more in the morning. That’s all I can do right now, is to get treatment.”

Young wasn’t walking with a noticeable limp after the game and said he’ll “hopefully” be good to go for Game 4 on Tuesday, according to Bontemps.

Still, even if Young is unable to play, it’s possible the injury will slow him down a little, affecting his usual explosiveness. Already in this postseason, we’ve seen a variety of leg injuries limit the effectiveness of guards like James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley. It would be unfortunate if Young is noticeably bothered by the injury going forward, since the upstart Hawks have been giving the Bucks all they can handle in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After splitting the first two games in Milwaukee, Atlanta had a fourth-quarter lead on Sunday, but wasn’t able to hold onto that lead down the stretch. The Bucks now lead the series by a 2-1 margin.

Community Shootaround: Conference Finals Outcomes

June 27th, 2021 at 7:29pm CST by JD Shaw

With the start of the NBA Finals around the corner, it’s time to examine who might represent the East and West in the annual championship series this year.

The Bucks and Hawks are currently tied 1-1, with Milwaukee winning Game 2 on Friday night 125-91. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Hawks star Trae Young recorded just 15 points and nine turnovers.

In the West, the Suns lead the Clippers 3-1, with Game 5 set to commence on Monday night. Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard (knee) has already been ruled out for the contest. Game 4 featured some ugly shooting performances from both sides, but Phoenix prevailed to take a commanding lead in the series.

Both the Clippers and Hawks have overcome long odds numerous times during the postseason — the Clippers came back to beat the Mavericks in a seven-game first-round series, then won four straight to beat the Jazz after trailing 2-0 the next round. The Hawks, meanwhile, were not expected to make it here.

“What I like about this team is we always beat the odds,” Hawks center Clint Capela recently said, as relayed by Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “People just don’t expect us to do it. People keep doubting us, and we just keep shocking them. In Houston, it was really a championship mentality every year, so it was almost like a must-win game, every game.”

With that in mind, what do you think? Do the Clippers have enough left in the tank to pull off a third postseason miracle? Will the Hawks win another series despite being widely viewed as the underdogs?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions!

McMillan's Starry Journey With The Hawks

June 27th, 2021 at 4:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After being let go by the Pacers following a first-round playoff sweep in 2020, Nate McMillan initially considered sitting out the 2020/21 season. His mind was changed when then-Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce reached out to him. Now, McMillan himself is the club’s interim head coach, leading Atlanta to a 1-1 record in the Eastern Conference Finals. Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports details McMillan’s roller-coaster 2020/21 season. “I still wanted to coach [after the 2019/20 season], and after talking with Coach Pierce and hearing his vision, he wanted to get to the next level,” McMillan said. “Which was win. They were rebuilding, but they wanted to win. I thought it would be OK, go down and assist and not deal with the other stuff.” When Pierce was let go following a 14-20 start, McMillan was wary of the optics should he take over midseason. “They wanted to name me head coach; I had to take some time to think about that,” McMillan said. “I talked with Coach Pierce, he basically said he thought that I should take it and move forward.”