Bucks vs Hawks Game 3 Odds, Lineups, Picks & Injury News
- The Bucks and Hawks meet in Game 3 on Sunday (June 27th, 8:30 pm ET)
- Milwaukee enter this contest as a 4-point favorite
- Get the odds, preview, injury report, and prediction below
After a blowout win for the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2, the Eastern Conference Finals now shifts back to Atlanta where the Hawks will be looking for a bounce-back performance on home court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks responded in fine fashion on Friday night, beating the Hawks by 34 points. While it was a solid offensive performance from the entire rotation, they were able to finally slow down Trae Young on the opposite end, who dropped just 15.
Bucks vs Hawks Odds
| Team | Spread at FanDuel | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | -4 (-110) | -176 | Ov 223.5 (-108) |
| Atlanta Hawks | +4 (-110) | +148 | Un 223.5 (-112) |
Odds as of June 26th.
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Injury Report
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is listed as probable for this contest. He did just play 29 minutes in Game 2 after picking up a small injury, but it isn’t expected to keep him out of the lineup. Donte DiVincenzo (foot) is out for the rest of the playoffs. For the Hawks, Bogdan Bogdanovic is battling a sore knee and is listed as questionable for Game 3.
Bucks vs Hawks Projected Lineups
| Jrue Holiday | PG | Trae Young |
| Khris Middleton | SG | Bogdan Bogdanovic |
| PJ Tucker | SF | Kevin Huerter |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | PF | John Collins |
| Brook Lopez | C | Clint Capela |
Can The Bucks Actually Stop Young?
Who would’ve known that Trae Young could be stopped? At this point, no one has shown the ability to do so, with the Hawks star absolutely destroying every team he’s come up against in the playoffs.
Milwaukee was one of the best defensive teams in the league during the regular season and in Game 2, they figured out a way to limit Trae’s production after he went off for 48 in the series opener.
The Bucks switched several different defenders on him, who all made life difficult for the Atlanta guard. 7-footer Brook Lopez hounded Young at times, while defensive mainstay Jrue Holiday also did a tremendous job of putting immense pressure on Trae, forcing him to turn the ball over nine times.
While Antetokounmpo put a team-high 25 points, Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Holiday all registered double-digits in scoring as well. Holiday continued to contribute at a high level offensively after a slow start to the postseason. He collected 22 points and dished out 7 assists while having his way with the Hawks defense in every way imaginable.
Playoff Jrueski.
22 PTS | 7 AST | 9/14 FG | 3/4 3PT pic.twitter.com/MV9FVJUTMu
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 26, 2021
The big difference-maker here was inside. The Bucks outscored Atlanta 62-30 in the paint and collected 47 boards to just 34 for their opponents. Milwaukee will need to come out and set the tone early once again on Sunday on the road and that starts with preventing Young from getting into rhythm.
Hawks Heading Back Home
Taking one out of two on the road against a team like the Bucks is certainly respectable. But, losing by 34 isn’t. Game 2 showed that when Trae isn’t producing, Atlanta doesn’t have much to offer. It was a rather uninspiring showing from Nate McMillan’s squad, with Young’s 15 points being a team-high.
The Hawks rely heavily on their shooting. But, they struggled in this specific area, draining just 25% of their threes on Friday. ATL’s 19 turnovers also turned into 25 points for the Bucks. Overall, it was just a sloppy night.
Young is going to have to figure out a way to get it going from the tip. This new strategy of throwing guards and bigs at him worked to perfection in Game 2. Whether it’s getting his shooters more involved or trying to draw more fouls, it will be crucial to the outcome of Game 3 that he makes an early impact.
Locking in for Game 3. #BelieveAtlanta pic.twitter.com/IAJdWHdDHb
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 26, 2021
Clint Capela specifically must be more forceful on the glass, too. He had a dismal 2 points and 8 rebounds on Friday as the Bucks annihilated Atlanta around the rim.
Prediction
Milwaukee made a loud statement in Game 2. They were dominant in all aspects and entirely shut down the Hawks’ offense. While I don’t believe this is going to be another blowout, the Bucks have covered the spread in three of their last four games.
It’s tough to say that Trae Young will have another dismal night, especially on home court. I expect him to respond here, but it won’t be enough to get a win for his team. Take the visitors on the spread.
Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -4 (-110)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
