The Atlanta Hawks hope to build on a thrilling come-from-behind win when they return home to begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Hawks ended a two-game losing streak when Caris LeVert scored on a layup at the buzzer to beat the host Memphis Grizzlies 132-130 on Monday. Atlanta trailed 120-107 with 9:09 left but rallied for the improbable victory when Dyson Daniels stole the ball with 3.8 seconds and fed LeVert for the winning bucket.
The win allowed the Hawks to remain within one-half game of the Orlando Magic for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. The top six teams earn playoff spots, while the seventh- through 10th-place teams will compete in the play-in event.
Milwaukee has turned its season around, winning six of the past seven, including a 132-117 victory at Dallas on Saturday. The Bucks are tied with the Indiana Pacers for the No. 4 position in the East.
The Hawks lead the season series 2-1, and they beat the Bucks 115-110 on Feb. 7 in Atlanta. The teams will meet a final time on March 30 in Milwaukee.
Daniels continues to respond on the defensive end. He had three steals on Monday and leads the NBA with an average of 3.0 per game, 1.2 more than the five players tied for second. Dyson, who also averages 13.9 points per contest, is a legitimate contender for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
“It’s going out there and just making plays,” Daniels said. “I just want to win games, and the playoffs is what we’re trying to get to, so we need to win some more games.”
LeVert continues to thrive while coming off the bench, a role he has played since joining the team at the trade deadline. He put up 25 points on Monday, scoring the tying and winning baskets.
Since the All-Star break, the Bucks have limited opponents to 108.8 points per game (tied for seventh in the NBA) and have a 107.4 defensive rating (tied for third). Over the past five games, Milwaukee is allowing opponents to shoot just 29.6 percent on 3-point attempts and 43.9 percent from the field.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard make up one of the most prolific scoring tandems in the league. Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists. Lillard averages 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists. Antetokounmpo denied any notion of friction between the two.
“I feel like people have created this narrative that me and Dame are not working together, but nobody’s doing it better than me and him right now,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve had some ups and downs throughout the season, but we’ve been playing good basketball overall. I believe with time, things will always improve.”
In 37 career games against Atlanta, Antetokounmpo is averaging 23.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. This season he produced two 30-plus-point efforts against the Hawks but missed the last matchup with an injury.
Atlanta played without Georges Niang (illness) on Monday. The Bucks are without Pat Connaughton (left calf strain), Pete Nance (left ankle sprain) and Bobby Portis (league suspension), while Kyle Kuzma (right ankle sprain) is listed as doubtful for Tuesday.
