Forget the scoreboard for a second, because for the Milwaukee Bucks, tonight’s game at home against the Atlanta Hawks isn’t about ending a brutal nine-game losing streak as much as it is about showing a pulse. Yeah, they’re on a nine-game skid, but the real talk is about “process over results” and finding “small wins” for this squad. Their last game against the Magic, at least, showed a “clear improvement” over the previous four. Now, can they repeat that effort? We’re all looking for that “effort, intensity, and stick-to-itiveness” that’s been missing.
The Hawks’ Struggle Is The Bucks’ Biggest Test
You’d think facing an “underwhelming” Atlanta Hawks team, sitting at 7-6, would be a golden opportunity, right? Not so fast. The Hawks have been stumbling themselves, almost losing to the Nets (seriously, the Nets!), then dropping games to the Lakers and, surprisingly, the Bulls. A key reason for their sluggish start? Nickeil Alexander-Walker. This guy was last season’s Most Improved Player, stepping up big time after they traded Trae Young mid-year. He replaced Young’s production, and then some! But this 2026-27 campaign? Rough. Alexander-Walker is shooting his worst field-goal percentage in three seasons at 40.8%, and his three-point shooting is down to 35.0% from what was “near-40%” territory.
And it’s not just him. Wisconsin native and one-time All-Star Jalen Johnson is also ice-cold from deep, hitting a miserable 19.0% of his three-pointers. The Hawks are absolutely gonna try to use tonight as a “get-right game” for those two. The Bucks cannot, under any circumstance, let that happen.
What Happened To Brayden Burries?
For the Bucks, one of the biggest question marks right now has to be Brayden Burries. This dude exploded onto the scene, quickly snagging a spot in the starting lineup and making an immediate impact. In his first four starts, Burries was dropping 13.0 points, pulling down 8.3 boards, and dishing out 3.5 assists per game, taking a healthy 11.8 shots. He was everywhere!
But then, poof. In the three games since, his numbers have fallen off a cliff: 4.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, all on a paltry 5.7 shot attempts. While you don’t want him forcing up bad shots like some of the vets, he’s definitely looking “too passive at times.” Part of it is the role, he’s playing out of position at the point, which honestly could have big “long-term benefits.” But part of it, the source says, is on him, maybe putting “too much emphasis on running the action.” We need that early Burries impact back, like yesterday.
Who’s Sitting This One Out?
On the injury front for the Bucks, Ousmane Dieng is out with a finger injury, and Bogoljub Markovic is on a G League assignment. The Hawks have a longer list of guys sidelined: Kingston Flemings (back), Keshon Gilbert (knee), Mouhamed Gueye (foot), Asa Newell (toe), and Henri Veesar (ACL) are all out.
Look, tonight isn’t about the standings or some deep playoff run right now. It’s about getting back to basics. The Bucks need to show *something* tonight, because another game of just going through the motions against a struggling team like the Hawks is just gonna twist the knife deeper. We need that effort, that intensity, that stick-to-itiveness. Anything less isn’t gonna cut it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
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