After their recent, disheartening loss to the Orlando Magic, the Milwaukee Bucks were presented with a great chance to bounce back against the Atlanta Hawks. Holders of a 20-49 record, Atlanta are exactly the kind of team against which a struggling squad like Milwaukee can work out some kinks.
While they picked up a victory in the end, it was anything but an easy win for the Bucks. Their troubling trend of failing to set the tone early against lesser opponents continued, as Milwaukee was again sluggish in the first period. The defense in particular was poor, and the Hawks were able to run their offense with little resistance.