Today's Bucks vs Hawks live stream is almost here, and while the Hawks are back on their home court trying to figure out how to stave off elimination, Milwaukee is looking to end this series with this NBA playoff live stream.

This Eastern Conference Finals comes down to who can best embrace the "next man up mentality." The Hawks Trae Young (foot) is playing while the Bucks have Antetokumpo listed as out. Game 5 was Young's second straight absence. It was also Antetokounmpo's first absence since hyperextending his knee.

For the Bucks, it wasn't about who would step up, but how many would rise to the occasion. Led by Brook Lopez's 33 points, Milwaukee had four players score at least 22 points to win Game 5 123-112 in Janis' absence and lead the series 3-2. Chris Middleton also had a double-double, his seventh of the season, with 26 points and 13 rebounds.

Lopez contributed to the Bucks' strong start with two big blocks in the first two minutes of the opening quarter. Milwaukee finished the quarter with a 14-point lead. As a team, the Bucks rode their big men and overall interior play to outscore the Hawks, 66-36, in the paint.

Atlanta held out hope for the return of Trae Young until the end. Young, the Hawks' leading scorer, had been a game-time decision before Game 5, but was unable to play. They will try the same approach Saturday night. While Lopez was in command in Janis' absence on Thursday, Bogdan Bogdanovic was trying to keep the Hawks in the game. The 28-year-old Serbian shooting guard dropped a playoff career-high 28 points while shooting 7-for-16 from three.

The Hawks host the Bucks in Game 6 as 2.5-point favorites. The over/under is 217.

If you've had to leave your "bubble" - or suffered the dreaded local blackout - you're not out of luck if you can't watch the Bucks vs Hawks live stream on cable You're not out of luck. With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can pretend you're surfing the web from your hometown (or anywhere else not hit by a blackout) and access the same streaming service you've already paid for.

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We tested a variety of services and chose ExpressVPN as the best VPN overall. They offer great speed and excellent customer service. However, there are other VPN options out there. Here are our top picks.

In the US, Bucks vs. Hawks airs on TNT, tipping off today (Saturday, July 3) at 8:30 PM ET.

If you haven't already cut the cord and have the cable package, you can get this game on Sling TV, one of our best streaming service list picks; Fubo TV also loves it, but TNT does not.

And don't worry that Sling doesn't have ABC (which you can watch on one of the best TV antennas); ESPN3 simulcasts ABC's NBA playoff games, so you'll be fine on Sling.

UK basketball fans rely on Sky Sports, where the Bucks vs. Hawks live stream will be available live. Sky Sports' main event, Mix and Arena, will all begin with the game at 1:30 am BST.

NBA League Pass is available in the UK.

Canadian hoops fans will need TSN for this event as TSN1 has a live stream of Bucks vs Hawks.

NBA League Pass is also available in Canada.