Trae Young scored 48 points, Clint Capela converted a go-ahead put-back with 29.8 seconds left, and Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-113 last night in Milwaukee to open the Eastern Conference finals.
Atlanta Hawks improved to 6-2 in road playoff games this year, and inflicted the first home defeat on Milwaukee Bucks for the postseason.
Game 2 is tomorrow night also in Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for the Milwaukee Bucks. Jrue Holiday added 33 points and 10 assists.
Milwaukee Buck’s Khris Middleton missed a potential tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds. Although he scored 15 points, he shot 6 of 23 and missed all nine of his 3-point attempts.
John Collins added 23 points and 15 rebounds for Atlanta Hawks. Capela had 12 points and 19 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo scored the first six points in a 9-0 run that turned a 98-96 deficit into a 105-98 advantage with 4:18 left. But the Hawks scored the next five points, and the game went back and forth from there.
Middleton missed a pull-up jumper with about 43 seconds left with Milwaukee Hawks ahead 111-110. Young missed a shot on the other end of the floor, but Capela grabbed his 19th rebound and scored to put the Atlanta Hawks in front for good.
After Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton shot an air-ball on a 3-pointer, Young made two free throws with 17.3 seconds remaining.
Antetokounmpo made a pair of free throws with 5.3 seconds left, but Young brought the lead back to three and closed the scoring by sinking two free throws of his own with 4.6 seconds remaining.
