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Bucks vs Hawks Game 4 Odds, Lineups, Injury Report & Picks

Eric Rosales

by Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball

Updated Jun 29, 2021 · 4:32 PM PDT

Khris Middleton holding ball on the court with hand out
Khris Middleton and the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 of the East Finals Tuesday. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire)
  • Bucks look to take a commanding lead in the East Finals against the Hawks in Game 4
  • Trae Young is officially out, while Giannis Antetokounmpo has a calf issue
  • Get the odds, preview, injury report, and prediction below

What’s an NBA playoff series without more stars hobbling?

The East Finals may have shifted on a freak injury, when Trae Young’s stepped on a referee’s foot and went down. That coincided with the Bucks taking control to win Game 3, 113-102 and take a 2-1 series lead.

Speaking of Freak injuries, it was announced just prior to tip that Giannis Antetokounmpo was battling a calf injury. That certainly didn’t stop him from another huge outing, only to be a sidekick to a monster Khris Middleton performance.

That combination is why the Bucks are heavy 7-point favorites to take command of this series in Game 4, with a chance to return home to wrap up a trip to the Finals.

Bucks vs Hawks Game 4 Odds

Team Spread at FanDuel Moneyline Total
Milwaukee Bucks -7 (-110) -270 Ov 219 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks +7 (-110) +220 Un 219 (-110)

Odds as of June 28th. Tip off is Tuesday at 8:30pm ET

Injury Report

The stars dot the injury report, the biggest being Trae Young and the bone bruise on his right foot. He’s listed as questionable for Game 4. Bogdan Bogdanovic is also listed as probable, as he continues to battle a knee injury.

For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo (calf) is on the injury report, listed as day-to-day. Barring a major turn of events, however, it’s likely all three will be on the court for Game 4.

Late breaking news via Adrian Wojnarowski, as Trae Young will indeed be out for Game 4 after trying to push through pain and play. Expect Lou Williams to start in his place.

Bucks vs Hawks Projected Lineups

Bucks
VS
Hawks
Jrue Holiday PG Lou Williams
Khris Middleton SG Bogdan Bogdanovic
PJ Tucker SF Kevin Huerter
Giannis Antetokounmpo PF John Collins
Brook Lopez C Clint Capela

Middleton the Man

Giannis was again his dominant self, pouring in 33 points, 11 boards and four assists on a crisp 13-for-21 from the field (61.9%). But as he is looking more modern-day Shaq than LeBron or KD 2.0, the two-time MVP needs someone to land the plane.

Enter Middleton, who put together his most impactful game of the series. The all-star wing was 15-for-26 from the field overall, for a career-high 38 points and 11 rebounds.

He did major damage in money time, dropping 20 points in the fourth quarter, one of the best shooting barrages we’ve seen in the playoffs this year. He went 8-for-13 from the field, including a blistering 4-for-6 from the 3-point line. Middleton was the catalyst in a game-changing 15-3 run in the fourth, turning a 95-88 deficit into a 103-98 Bucks lead they would never relinquish.

For the third straight game, the Bucks also dominated play in the paint, outscoring Atlanta 56-34 in the key. They are averaging a blistering 62.7 points in the paint in this series. To put that into context, of the remaining four playoff teams, the Phoenix Suns are second at 48 points a game.

Who’s Helping Trae?

If Young is compromised, he’s going to need more help. Prior to injuring his ankle, Young was clearly improved from a poor Game 2 showing, posting 32 points on 11-for-19 shooting. Following a trip to the locker room, he was clearly lacking explosiveness. He even surrendered ball-handling duties, taking just four shots in the final frame, scoring three points.

Danilo Galinari went cold in the fourth, going just 1-for-3 for two points, while Bogdanovic was radio silent: he played all 12 minutes in the quarter and went 0-for-3 from the field. Their usual spark of offense and athleticism, John Collins, was hampered with foul trouble all game, finishing with 13 points and eight boards, limited to only 23 minutes.

The end result was Atlanta was outscored 30-17 in the fourth quarter, shooting just 37.9% from the field, including a grim 1-for-8 from downtown, while also committing four turnovers.

Defensively, the Hawks are going to have to find some answers to stop the Milwaukee onslaught. In the second half, they allowed the Bucks to shoot 53.5% from the field, and 53.3% from three point range.

Prediction

If the injury to Young hadn’t happened, Atlanta was well on their way to covering, perhaps even winning outright. That injury looms large now, though, as the best offensive player left in the East could still be sapped of his explosiveness.

The Hawks have won Game 4 in each of their previous two series, proving their resilience in these playoffs. But Milwaukee is not the Knicks or even the 76ers, and they are punishing Atlanta in the paint. If Middleton or Jrue Holiday can provide Giannis the closing support he needs, look for the Bucks to continue overpowering these Atlanta upstarts.

Pick: Bucks -7 (-110)

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