3 keys for the Milwaukee Bucks to reach the NBA Finals

The Bucks might be a favorite to reach the NBA Finals, but they will have their hands full with the Hawks this series.

After trailing 2-0 and later 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Bucks battled their way back to a Game 7 victory. The resilience was impressive, and now Milwaukee is four wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance in over 50 seasons.

It won’t be a cakewalk to get there, as the Bucks prepare for battle with an Atlanta Hawks team that has been one of the league’s hottest groups since interim head coach Nate McMillain took over in November 2020.

As well as the Bucks have played recently, they have their flaws. These three things will be key to overcoming any obstacles and reaching the promised land.

Milwaukee Bucks: Three keys to reach the 2021 NBA Finals over Atlanta Hawks

Giannis Antetokounmpo needs to continue his dominance

For any talk of whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo can lead the Bucks to the Finals, he’s put his critics to rest through the first two games of the series. Despite his inconsistent jump shot and poor free throw shooting, Giannis has remained aggressive when it counts and it’s resulted in him averaging just over 30 points per game in the second-round series against Brooklyn.

That fearlessness and trust in his teammates will be critical if Milwaukee is to continue their winning ways. He can’t do it all by himself, but it goes without saying how much easier everyone’s job becomes if Giannis is consistently getting to the paint. At a certain point, Atlanta will have no choice but to bring help defense and when that happens it’ll leave opportunities for the Bucks to knock down their open shots on the perimeter.