NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HAWKS VS. BUCKS

June 29, 2021

Mike Budenholzer

Milwaukee Bucks

Game 4: Pregame

Q. How did Giannis and his calf kind of make it through the game?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Yeah, I think he's had a lot of time just trying to get it in a good place and he's warmed up. I think everything I'm hearing is positive and he's in a good place and ready to go.

Q. What have you thought about Jrue’s play-making and ball distribution these first three games?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Yeah, he can do so many different things. You know, I think he can score if we need him to score when we need him to score. But him with the ball, making decisions, whether it be finding Khris or Giannis or Brook or whoever it may be on penetration, you know, just happy with how he's playing and he's in a good place. He's got a big challenge defensively, ask a lot of him on both ends of the court, but he loves that.

Q. Same starters for you again today?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Yes.

Q. With Giannis, it feels like he's gotten very comfortable in that mid-range, whether it's the hook, the fader in the middle the other night. What have you seen from him specifically in that regard? I know he's worked so much on it over the years, but to see that pay off.

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Those are big baskets. I think his confidence is just growing, the more reps he gets.

So we just need him to keep getting to good spots, playing with confidence, feeling the crowd if there is one and playing to his teammates and getting to his shots when he can.

Q. Very rarely in the postseason has he experienced the foul trouble due to offensive fouls; that's something that has not been true the last two postseasons. What have you seen from him?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: You know, we talked about his growth, his understanding of the game. I think him growing as a player and having more things, you know, I think the game, he sees it, he sees it well and sees it better with each game and with each season, so on and so forth. I think it's a big area where he's grown.

Q. What has having Donte DiVincenzo around meant to you guys, that even though he's not playing this postseason, he's still around?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: He's one of those guys that's got great personality. The players just love having him around. And he's smart. For a young guy, I think he can add things. He can be another voice, whether it be timeouts or film sessions and things like that. Just love having him around. And he finds ways to help us, even on the scooter.

Q. Has he gotten faster? Is he taking corners better?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: I was behind him, trying to assess, but I couldn't come up with one.

Q. How different are the actions that the Hawks run when Trae's not out there and with him being a game-time decision, how difficult is it to prepare the day before and the day of when you don't know if he's going to be out there?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Yeah, I mean, we mostly prepare as if he is going to play. And you know, like I've said a bunch of times over the last couple weeks, there's fundamental things we do night-in, night-out, against the great players, against every team. There's so many different actions that require everybody to be on the same page.

So I would expect the ball to be in Williams' hands more; Gallinari has had it a lot; Collins has had it a lot; Bogdanovic is capable; Huerter is capable. The actions may change some but not as much as probably one would think.

Q. This is going back just a couple nights ago, but when Khris is doing what he's doing, how much of it in the moment do you appreciate, and are you able to take a pause with everything that's going on and sort of acknowledge to yourself what's happening? And then when you go back and look at it, how much different does it feel to you when you watch it on film, as opposed to real time?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Yeah, I mean, when it's happening real time, lots of times you just kind of go to what's next and try to get a stop. You want to have a feel for the game.

But you know, a lot of it happened somewhat organically different ways, and you know, so certainly there's appreciation, there's a feel for it but lots of times there's just kind of going to the next play and trying to figure out if we can get a stop and then play off of the stop and play fast and play random.

You know, so given that, and then watching it, a little bit the same. You see it and feel it and then it happens in some organic -- and he makes tough shots. He gets to some things that, he's unique and gifted. So, it's a little bit of both, both in the moment and watching it on film.

Q. Wanted to ask you about the number of run-outs you're getting, you're getting a lot of points that way and even drawing some fouls. Is that part of the game plan? Is that a function of the long rebounds off the threes?

MIKE BUDENHOLZER: Again, I think the players are just smart. We want to get out and run but we've got to rebound first. We've got to keep them in front of us first. We've got to contest first, make them miss. And you know, I think the guys are just -- I think they are locked in defensively, and including trying to get the boards. You know, if we can get out and get behind the defense, and whether it's that one or creating corner threes and high-quad threes with people running, you know, it's something we want to do kind of on a nightly basis.