John Collins isn’t the Hawks’ headline act, but he has been vital to their playoff run

MILWAUKEE – John Collins loves to dunk on opponents.

He did it multiple times in Atlanta’s 116-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The most impressive and bold dunk came on a lob from Trae Young … off the backboard … in traffic … in the conference finals.

“Me and Trae came to some basketball chemistry understanding, and I went up and finished the play,” Collins said. “I just feel like it turns my motor back up a little bit and just making me play a little extra harder. I just dunked on somebody, so that's going to turn me up.”

This is the sequence that lost MIL the game. Incredible hustle from ATL — great stuff from John Collins in particular. pic.twitter.com/8uCO2fOdPb

But the play that had bigger impact on the game came late in the fourth quarter when Collins made a corner 3-pointer after the Hawks collected two offensive rebounds, including one by Collins while keeping the ball in play. Instead of a 111-107 Bucks lead with 1:39 left and a possession to drain another 24 seconds off the clock, Collins made it 111-110.

“Those are gritty plays and plays that win games,” Collins said. “Getting people extra possessions rather than making an open shot or dunking on somebody, which I love to do as well, but trying to find ways for our team to win makes me happy at the end of the day."

Collins scored 23 points on 11-for-16 shooting and collected 15 rebounds.

“He's been great for us,” Hawks interim coach Nate McMillan said. “When teams are switching and doing the swings that they are trying to do on the defensive end of the floor to really cover Trae, a lot of times they are trapping and switching a small on John and the big on Trae. John has taken advantage of that in the post scoring, or he has taken advantage of that on the offensive glass.

“His ability to spread the floor in pick-and-rolls, the versatility of the pick-and-pop game when a five is guarding him, he has done a great job of recognizing that and taking advantage of who is guarding him out on the floor.”

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