Hawks Clean Sweep The Bucks In NBA Abu Dhabi Games

Krishna Kosaraju, Staff Reporter, The Pawprint

The Atlanta Hawks will be acknowledged as champions of the first-ever NBA games held in the middle east. It’s taken the NBA a long time to finally venture into the Arab world and Gulf region but its arrival to the UAE capital this week, where both preseason games between the Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks took place at Etihad Arena, was well worth the wait. The stadium was filled full for the historic sporting event, which featured spectacular plays, elegant passes, and clinical point finishes from both teams. On Thursday, the Hawks had already won the opening game 123–113. In the last contest of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 at the Etihad Arena on Saturday, Trae Young scored 31 points as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 118-109 to win their second straight preseason game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, a prominent player for the Bucks, did not start the game as he was rusty in the first contest. Trae Young’s heroics helped the Hawks lead the Bucks 63-55 at halftime since standout players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton of Milwaukee did not play. For Atlanta, Dejounte Murray and Justin Holiday were both absent. With an 8-0 run to open the second half, the Hawks increased their advantage to 16, and they maintained that margin of victory for virtually the remainder of the game, even when both teams started to use their reserves solely after the third quarter. Although the Bucks made a run in the final minutes of the fourth, Atlanta held on to secure the victory 118-109. For what it’s worth, the Hawks’ offense looked sharp in the preseason. We’ll have to wait and see whether this performance carries over to the upcoming NBA season and the playoffs.

“It was exciting to witness history by having these games here for the first time.” Said Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, who was astonished by the great support that the Abu Dhabi Games received from the public. The competitions in Abu Dhabi were preseason events that also included two contests between the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards on September 30 and October 2 in Tokyo, Japan. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the NBA has resumed international pre-season games after a two-year hiatus.

Legends like Dominique Wilkins, Isaiah Thomas, Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, Shaquille O’Neal, and Vince Carter were present. Celebrities like Indian actor and NBA India brand ambassador Ranveer Singh, American comedian Martin Lawrence, and TV host and comedian Steve Harvey were also there. The NBA preseason games in Abu Dhabi attracted global attention and were a huge success for the sport of basketball as a whole.