MANILA – Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals after a 113-117 overtime escape against the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 of the conference semifinals on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Khris Middleton converted a go-ahead basket with under a minute left to surge the Bucks ahead 113-111 before Brook Lopez sealed the victory on two freebies with 0.3 seconds remaining.
He finished the match with 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and five steals, while Lopez recorded 19 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks as the Bucks wrapped up the best-of-seven series at 4-3.
Giannis Antetokounmpo top-scored for the East Finals-bound Milwaukee with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, while Jrue Holiday posted 13 markers, including crucial hits late in the fourth quarter.
The Bucks will battle the Game 7 winner between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals.
The Nets started strong and even went up by double digits in the second period at 53-43 via a three-point play by James Harden. However, the Bucks clawed to within 47-53 at the half on four straight points by Antetokounmpo.
Milwaukee heated the third period by surging to a 59-55 on a Lopez basket. The Nets responded to the uprising with a 79-74 gap, but baskets from Antetokounmpo and Pat Connaughton established an 82-81 lead for the Bucks.
The game remained tight for both squads in the fourth period as the Nets climbed to a 101-96 lead on Harden’s buzzer-beating basket before Holiday gave Bucks a 109-105 advantage.
Brooklyn countered with a layup from Kevin Durant to scrape the deficit to 107-109 and hit a tough jumper with a second left to force overtime.
The Nets seized the first lead in overtime on a Bruce Brown basket, but Antetokounmpo responded with a close-range hit for the Bucks as it clinches a 113-111 advantage on Middleton’s basket.
Durant ended the game with a record-high of 48 points for the Nets. Harden added 22 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while Blake Griffin contributed 17 points.
BOX SCORE:
MILWAUKEE 115 – G. Antetokounmpo 40, Middleton 23, Lopez 19, Holiday 13, Tucker 11, Connaughton 9, T. Antetokounmpo 0, Forbes 0.
BROOKLYN 111 – Durant 48, Harden 22, Griffin 17, Brown 14, Harris 10, Green 0, Shamet 0, Claxton 0.
QUARTERSCORES:
25-28, 47-53, 82-81, 109-109, 115-111./PN
