A former Duke basketball wing helped keep his team off the brink of elimination.
Things looked bleak for the Atlanta Hawks an hour prior to tipoff of Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks as All-Star Trae Young was ruled out due to a deep bone bruise on his right foot. The role players for the home team needed to step up, and that is exactly what former Duke basketball wing Cam Reddish did.
Prior to Game Two of the series, Reddish had not played since February 21 due to Achilles soreness, and the former Blue Devil logged 17 minutes in the 34-point loss before not seeing the court in Atlanta’s Game Three defeat.
However, with Young on the bench, the second-year wing was called upon by interim head coach Nate McMillan, and Reddish responded in the biggest game of his career.
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The 21-year-old rising star logged the most minute of any player off the bench for the Hawks and added 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block, and two steals in the 110-88 victory, evening the series at two games apiece.
Cool to see Cam Reddish enjoy himself like this. pic.twitter.com/PMrJqyBl6k
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) June 30, 2021
Reddish was 5-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-3 from 3-point territory in the victory, but the biggest story after the game was the health of Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo after he left in the third quarter following the hyperextension of his left knee.
Duke basketball guards trying to make stay in playoffs last
While Cam Reddish has at least two more games in the playoffs, Luke Kennard is hoping to extend his stay in the postseason by one more game on Wednesday night.
Kennard and the Los Angeles Clippers forced a Game Six against the Phoenix Suns with a road victory as the series shifts back to California.
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Aside from his 10-point fourth quarter in the Game Two loss, Kennard has been kept quiet by the Suns, despite his extended playing time due to the injury of All-Star Kawhi Leonard, averaging just 5.4 points per game in the Western Conference Finals.
Game Six between the Clippers and Suns is scheduled for 9:00pm (ESPN) on Wednesday, June 30 while Game Five between the Hawks and Bucks is on Thursday, July 1 at 8:30pm (TNT).