NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

June 23, 2021

Mike Budenholzer

Milwaukee Bucks

Game 1: Postgame

Atlanta Hawks 116, Milwaukee Bucks 113

Q. Can you take us through the ATO late, was that the shot you were after and any thoughts to having a better shooter?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: You know, Khris got the ball kind of mid-post and kicked it to Pat. There's a little bit of a differential and if you score you need to get a stop. So I have a ton of confidence in Pat. Loved the shot. I think we were going to go quick and Khris got a great penetration and made a good decision and then you've got to go play defense. We make and then you've got to get a stop. So I love the pass, I love the shot.

Q. You were in the drop [coverage] for most of the night and then you go small and switched some with Giannis late. Do you think that can be successful for you going forward?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: We talked about changing up the looks. I think we probably got to do more. But I think he got to the free throw line, Young got to the free throw line second half. I think eight free throws and I think maybe we got a little bit better defensively. But we're going to have to get a lot better going into Game 2 and I think throwing Young different looks is going to be important.

Q. Specifically what was the thought process with playing Jeff Teague tonight?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I think he's played against both Young and [Lou] Williams a lot and I think this is a series that he can help us. Bobby [Portis] gave us a great boost. Both those guys along with Bryn [Forbes] off the bench are going to be important.

Q. Going small, obviously a trade off there is the size. The offensive rebounding from Capela, Collins, late, in those instances, I know those are hustle plays but is that the hard part of making the trade-off?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: We knew those guys go to the offensive board hard. They had a couple of timely ones. I think the multiple possessions and Collins hits the corner three, and I think we'll look at the film. I think we've got to rebound better all collectively whether we're big or small or whoever is out there, the boards are going to be important.

Q. The few days coming into this, talk about the team being sort of ready for this, no emotional load, all that kind of thing, as Trae Young was getting going, this looked like their previous two Game 1s on the road. How did you sense that going? Was it Trae was just being Trae or was your team maybe not matching that effort or that intangible type of thing?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: No, I mean, I think the guys, there was some good stretches. There were times in the first half where I thought we could maybe bust it open and they stayed and it flipped. So I think the effort, the intensity is there. Young is a great player. He had a great night. Give him credit. We feel like we can play better. I'm sure they are going to think they can play better. We have to get ready for Game 2 and get better.

Q. What about this matchup makes it a well suited for Jrue Holiday?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: It's a great effort by Jrue. Got some good looks and kick-out threes. We need everybody to play well. Just the matchups, hopefully he can continue to get to those spots and get those shots against this team.

Q. That third quarter the Hawks made a run, what did you see that led to that deficit?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: We have to look at the film, but like I said, the free throws I thought hurt us. Most of the game the ball was in Young's hands and they had some floaters but they had a couple lob dunks and Capela scored a little bit and offensively didn't seem like we moved quite as well but I think there's some opportunities that we’d take again, were good shots and good looks and feel like we're going to play better going into Game 2.

Q. You had 70 points in the paint -- getting a lot of stuff going.

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: There was some good stuff particularly from Jrue and Giannis, two-man game. We need everybody to participate and I think everybody will just continue to get better going into the second game.

Q. There were a handful of plays late where you did not elect to use a challenge? What was that process there? I know there were a handful that maybe you could have, I guess, or maybe not. Based on what you saw.

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: A couple of them, the replay board is pretty quick and I thought that they were decent calls or the correct call, and it was not worth not having it at the end of the game. The out-of-bounds was a big one at 3:01. So referees can't go to the review until 2:00. That's probably the one that stands out to me. The others I think were good calls.