The Bucks followed a familiar script on Saturday night, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 132-121.

During the first three and a half quarters, the game moved back and forth, with both teams maintaining leads for extended periods of time and scoring with relative ease. The Bucks had moments when they looked impressive, such in the opening quarter when they scored 42 points, a season high. They also had moments of vulnerability, such when they allowed the Hawks to lead by four points at the break and started the second half with a 15–6 run. The runs added up to a 114-114 tie with 5:23 remaining.

As they have done so often this season, the Bucks then saved their best for last.

During that last stretch, they held the Hawks (9-10) to just seven points, forcing them to miss just three of their final ten field goal attempts and forcing them into two turnovers. Conversely, the Bucks (14-6) led by ten points at the end of the game after scoring eight of their last 11 shots and going on an 18-7 run.

After the game, Bucks coach Adrian Griffin remarked, “This seems to be a theme.” “It’s critical that we really buckle down in the fourth quarter. Our team has truly embraced the idea that the fourth quarter should be your greatest quarter, especially the final five minutes.

The Bucks have been the NBA’s top team in the clutch this season, according to statistics.

Twelve of the Bucks’ 19 games this season, according to NBA.com, have had periods where the scoring margin is within five points with five minutes or less left in the game. The Bucks have played 54 of those “clutch” minutes overall, which is the second-highest number in the NBA thus far. They had the top net rating in the NBA during that time, outscoring opponents by 31.9 points per 100 possessions. The Bucks’ defensive rating as a whole is 115.1 points per 100 possessions, but in those 54 crucial minutes, that figure has fallen to just 97.5 points per 100 possessions.

Damian Lillard of the Bucks on Saturday attributed the team’s increased focus level compared to the rest of the game to their performance in late-game scenarios and their defensive improvement in the final five minutes against the Hawks.

The problem, in my opinion, is just accepting it and improving communication amongst teammates, according to Lillard (25 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists). “I believe that teams frequently exploit our omitted communications.”

That judgment was concurred upon by Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“I think the players in the last four, six minutes, we lock in more and we come together and we communicate more because we know what’s at stake,” Antetokounmpo said after putting up 32 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. “The game is at stake. So we gotta do whatever we can do to close out the game.”

On Saturday, that meant executing the defensive game plan against Trae Young (32 points, 12 assists) and Dejounte Murray (30 points, three assists) at a much higher level. To close the game, the Bucks applied more pressure on the two Hawks guards. They trapped and blitzed their pick-and-rolls when the opportunity presented itself and were more physical in fighting for position in isolation situations.

For example, earlier in the game, Cameron Payne (season-high 18 points) might not have followed Murray down into the corner with Antetokounmpo and fully committed to this trap. But with the game hanging in the balance, Payne turned up the pressure, and the Bucks eventually secured a turnover when Antetokounmpo won the jump ball.

Murray has a size advantage over Lillard. But when Murray brought the ball down to the post, Lillard fought back, working to get lower than Murray to push him farther away from the basket. Murray can, of course, make that shot, but Lillard put in the work on that possession to make it harder.

To end the game, the Bucks wanted to do a better job forcing Young off the 3-point line. This possession by Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton is a great example.

Neither player is assigned to Young, but Antetokounmpo understood the threat in transition, so he picked up Young then switched him off to Middleton to keep Young from firing off a 3-pointer. Middleton closed out to the 3-point line and gave Young a little bump on the drive to force him into Brook Lopez’s waiting arms at the rim.

On the other end of the floor, the Bucks got the job done as a unit, with six different players scoring in their 18-7 run to end the game. Rather than just give one player the ball and have them isolate on a weak defender, the Bucks used the threat of their best players to create the best looks possible for anyone.

Lillard is a spectacular clutch player, but he understands teams are going to do everything in their power to stop him at the end of games. As we’ve seen over the last few weeks, that means that when Lillard trusts his teammates and allows them to make plays, he creates opportunities for the entire team in crunchtime.