The Milwaukee Bucks knew that Trae Young wasn’t going to take over in the Eastern Conference finals.

They did all of that and more Friday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points and Jrue Holiday added 22. The Bucks defeated the Atlanta Hawks by 125-91 in Game 2.

Young struggled throughout the night, after scoring 48 points and 11 assists in Hawks’ 116–113 Game 1 win.

Holiday stated that Holiday was “living in the paint last game, had a lot (and) layups for him. We didn’t want him to start early so that he could get started. He didn’t go to the free throw line tonight, which is also a big deal for us.

Young scored 15 points, but Young tied a career low with nine turnovers. Young left the game with just 3:48 remaining in quarter 3. He made 6 of 16, 1 of 8 on 3-point shots, and 2 of 3 free throws.

Young stated that he takes full responsibility for the events of tonight. Young said, “Taking care the ball is something that I have to do better. It will get easier. They just increased their physicality tonight. We have to do the exact same.”

The Bucks led the entire game, scoring 20 points in the second quarter. Both teams rested all their starters during the fourth quarter.

After winning Game 1 on the road, this is the Hawks’ third consecutive series where they lose Game 2. These Game 2 losses were decided by a total score of 59 points.

Game 3 of the series will be played in Atlanta on Sunday.

Hawks coach Nate McMillan stated, “We need to play harder.” We were not surprised by the intensity they displayed. They showed us that there is another level we need to reach. They dominated the whole game.”

Young stated that he believed the Bucks didn’t do anything differently schematically to slow him down on Friday. Young believed the Bucks played more aggressively and profited from the way that the game was called.

Young stated that nights like tonight can happen when they are aggressive and (officials don’t call it).

Two nights later, the Bucks lost seven points in Game 1 and Milwaukee wanted to make Young’s life more difficult. Young’s Game 1 performance made him the first player to score at least 45 points in a conference finals game. He also had 10 assists.

Young was responsible for eight turnovers in just the first half. Khris Middleton, Milwaukee’s head coach, agreed that the Bucks’ aggressiveness was a key factor in their win.

Middleton stated, “That was a huge factor from Game 1 to Games 2.” “Game 1 they were able get whatever they wanted on court. Trae was getting into the paint, throwing those shots and getting everyone else involved. Tonight, we wanted to set the tone for everyone and make sure that they were not going to be happy.

Brook Lopez scored 16 points in the win for the Bucks. Middleton scored 15 points, had eight assists, and grabbed seven rebounds. Antetokounmpo was credited with nine rebounds as well as six assists.

Danilo Gallinari scored 12 points, while John Collins and Cam Reddish added 11 each for the Hawks.

Milwaukee took a lead in the first minutes of the game as Antetokounmpo kept getting to the rim for easy baskets. Before the end of the first quarter, the Bucks held a lead of double-digits. They then went on a 20-0 run to open the second quarter.

Antetokounmpo stated, “We know what to do.” “Everybody knew that we had to get this game. We did that from the very first possession of the game.

TIP-INS

Hawks: Reddish lasted 17 minutes in his first game since February 21 after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury. Young scored at least 20 points in each of the Hawks’ playoff games, and had seven assists before Friday. Young is the first player to score at least 20 points in 13 of his career playoff games. He also has seven assists. … The fourth quarter was in its final quarter, and Nathan Knight, a reserve forward, went to the locker room. Knight was on his back, having blocked a shot.

Bucks: This was the Bucks’ first postseason shot of over 50%, shooting 52.1%. Antetokounmpo’s quick exit from the team due to the score was a blow to his franchise record of six consecutive games with at least 30 points. He also had 10 rebounds and 10 rebounds. Shaquille Oleal, in 2002, was the last player to score at least 30 points and get 10 rebounds in six consecutive playoff games.  The Bucks went 12-3 in playoff games at Fiserv Forum.