The Bucks Forced A Game 7 With A Comfortable Home Win Over The Nets

While Kevin Durant put together a one-of-a-kind performance, one could argue that the Milwaukee Bucks let one get away in Game 5 on Tuesday. The Bucks underwhelmed in crunch time, failing to take advantage of the undermanned Nets, and Durant’s effort was just enough to give Brooklyn a 3-2 lead with the series shifting back to Milwaukee. On Thursday, Milwaukee entered the pressure cooker that is a win-or-go-home scenario, and they put together an inspired effort to force Game 7 with a 104-89 win.

The Bucks struck first, putting together an 18-5 run to begin the evening. Milwaukee attacked the rim with fervor, generating 12 points in the paint, and the Nets opened 2-of-9 from the floor with four turnovers.

Following a timeout, the Nets did score seven straight points, which largely stopped the bleeding. The opening quarter still belonged to the Bucks, though, with 11 points and seven rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo helping to give Milwaukee a seven-point edge.

The Bucks stretched their advantage with an 8-2 run to begin the second quarter, though Brooklyn cut into the margin with a 9-0 spurt later in the period. Overall, the story of the second quarter was the play of Khris Middleton, who scored 17 points to key the Bucks in building an 11-point halftime lead.

Most of the third quarter was a rock fight on the order of what transpired in Game 3 of this same series. Neither team was able to find an offensive foothold, but Kevin Durant churned to 10 straight points for Brooklyn, paving the way for the visitors to cut their deficit to five.

Just as the Nets were creeping into a favorable position, the Bucks ended the third quarter with a flourish. Middleton scored six points in the final 55 seconds of the period, including a bucket at the buzzer, and that binge gave Milwaukee an 11-point lead with 12 minutes remaining.

With the run bleeding into the fourth quarter, the Bucks scored 10 consecutive points overall, and that pushed the margin to a game-high 15 points. Directly following that push, the Nets answered with a 10-0 run of their own, capped by the first three-pointer of the evening from Joe Harris.

In keeping with the trend of back-and-forth action, the Bucks threw their counterpunch and it proved to be a knockout blow. Milwaukee scored the next 14 points, taking a 19-point lead when Antetokounmpo threw down an impressive dunk with 6:24 remaining.

Brooklyn never recovered from there, as the Bucks kept the pedal down long enough to secure the win without any additional drama. It was not an off-the-charts shooting performance from Milwaukee at 45 percent from the floor and 7-of-33 from three-point distance, but the Bucks snagged 15 offensive rebounds, effectively using their size advantage. In addition, Middleton (38 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) and Antetokounmpo (30 points, 17 rebounds) played at a superstar level throughout the game.

On the Brooklyn side, Durant was highly effective with 32 points and 11 rebounds in 40 minutes, though the team’s performance left something to be desired. James Harden showed flashes of increased mobility while still falling short of his normal baseline and, with Harris struggling and Kyrie Irving still sidelined, the Nets were left searching for more firepower.

Game 7 looms on Saturday in front of a national audience, with the winner set to advance to face either the Atlanta Hawks or the Philadelphia 76ers. In short, there should be considerable drama, much in the way there has been throughout the first six contests of a memorable series.