NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

June 25, 2021

Mike Budenholzer

Milwaukee Bucks

Game 2: Postgame

Milwaukee Bucks 125, Atlanta Hawks 91

Q. I'm sure it's not always one-to-one, but first half, 33 points on turnovers, and offensive rebounds, you guys led by 32 at the break. Probably not that simple but was the emphasis on creating those turnovers, pushing the fast break and crashing the offensive glass?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Yeah, we talked about being active and being competitive and being there for each other, and you know, good things can happen. We don't talk about turnovers, per se, to be honest with you. We talk about being solid, being active, having hands. And sometimes when you're really active and when you're really good defensively, then turnovers sometimes will just naturally happen.

And the competitiveness on the offensive boards, and I think to run off our stops, to run off our rebounds is important for us. But it's not anything different. We talked about this is what we have to do. We just wanted to play better and compete harder.

Q. Along those lines, was Jrue maybe noticing that Trae may take a little longer on his follow through and running out and getting some of those fast breaks or is that something you saw on film and thought you could take advantage of?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I think if you contest threes, if you take care of the board, if you get a good contest, you can get a jump start on anybody, no matter who the three-point shooter is, no matter who the defender is. You have to take care of the boards before you can run. I thought the guys did a good job of rebounding and having vision up the court. You've got to find some easy ones, and tonight they were able to do that in transition.

Q. What did you think of Brook's ability to affect the game more?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Just active and he's got such a good feel and good read in the pick-and-roll defense. He was at his best and that's what we need from Brook. He's just got great timing, great understanding of spacing, defensive spacing. He was just what we've seen a lot of nights, and like I said, we need that going forward.

Q. What did you think of his ability to stunt?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Just call it Brook. I think try and stay out of his way, turn him loose, let him be himself, and that's when he's at his best.

Q. Jrue had talked about being more physical with Trae. Thoughts on that?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I think having him at the point of the defense, the guy that's got the bulk of responsibility at the front of our defense and putting pressure on the ball, letting them feel us and still keep them in front, and then be able to rebound as a point guard and do things there. You know, he's unique and we need more of the same from him.

Q. You had a game in the last series where you lost big and turned around and won Game 3. Will it be easy to put this in the rearview mirror going into Game 3 and not have a false sense of security?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I think it's just we have to have the right mindset going on the road. We've got to win on the road. But you've just got to find those competitive moments. You've got to dig deep. Stay together. It's good. The road can be good for you. It's certainly a challenge, but this group's won on the road and that's what we need to do.

Q. In Game 1, how many things do you feel like you needed to fix?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I just think like our activity. At times we just weren't as active as we needed to be, so that's kind of an all-encompassing word or concept and mentality. You know, and so I think we had good stretches in the second half. I think the boards were a problem in Game 1 and I think that would be the other thing that stood out. We have to continue to take care of the defensive boards if we want to do anything.

Q. You were up by as many as 41, huge night, does that mean whatever you thought you had to fix from Game 1, you got fixed?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: We're coaches; we'll find more stuff we can work on and can fix, or get better is the word we use a lot, we talk about. We'll look at the film, and you learn from things where you're not as good, and you learn from things where you do well. We've got to do both.

Q. Trae Young led in the paint the first game, and today nine turnovers. What did you all want to do differently to disrupt him from what he did in Game 1?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Just be more active. We needed everybody to be more active and the guys, they were great. You know, there's a lot of length and athleticism, but we've got to continue to maintain that kind of defensive effort. You've got to be able to do a little bit of everything. You've got to be active. You've got to get the shooters. You've got to rebound. That's what it takes to play a good team like Atlanta.

Q. And after Game 1, it was you, Khris, Giannis, Jrue, you all seemed more annoyed than angry. How did that affect how you wanted to come out in this game and have such a commanding lead?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: The players, I think they have got great character. That's what you've got to lean on. We feel like we could have been better, played better. But give credit to Atlanta in Game 1, and you've got to respond, and that's what the guys did.

Q. You've hit on this in a couple of answers but when you talk about the activity on the defensive side, did you show them in the film in Game 1 where they weren't active, and is it just effort or is there scheme involved?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I think Game 1 was a tough game. We had our opportunities. I don't want to get into there wasn't effort in Game 1. The guys, they were doing a lot of things. There was a lot of things we did well, and we just needed to do more things better this game. The effort was great this game. But it wasn't an effort thing in Game 1. You know, so I think the guys were good. They were committed, and now we've got to go do it again.

Q. Giannis played with such a fury and such a will from the very outset of this game. He just wasn't going to let them stop him from getting to the basket. What is it that makes him decide to have a game like that where he just refuses to settle, and do you wish that he would decide to do exactly that every time he steps on the floor for you?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I think he set a tone early. There was a couple drives and finishes that were kind of just what we expect from Giannis, and you know, he does do it so many nights, and he got to the paint the other night. He was aggressive, and tonight maybe he was even more.

But I think it starts with our defense. When we can get stops and Giannis can get out, Giannis can be aggressive. But you know, he's special. When he gets going full speed and hit footwork, his body control and his ability to pass; if they bring an extra body, he'll find the open guy. It's the Giannis that we've known and seen a lot of nights.

Q. Jrue is naturally bigger than Trae, bigger, longer, more defensively inclined, but Trae has a knack for being able to draw fouls on good defenders. What is your advice if you want him to be aggressive but not foul?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: That's part of the message, it's a fine line that you have to find between being aggressive, Trae feeling us, Atlanta feeling us, but you have to do it with a mental discipline and a mental toughness. We talk about showing our hands and different things like that. I just think Jrue's awareness coupled with his God given abilities; it's a great challenge, and he did it tonight but we have to go do it again in Game 3.