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The Milwaukee Bucks head into the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA after beating the Nets, 115-111, in overtime Saturday night in a crucial Game 7 of the semifinal series.
It was a disappointing end to the Ranked No. 2 series, who entered the playoffs ready to take on a championship, and their stars were finally healthy at the same time. The top three players – James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant – played only eight games together during the regular season due to injuries and other absences.
The Nets started the series favorite against the third seed Bucks, but once again, injuries to the stars piled up, increasing the potential for disruption.
In Game 1, James Harden left after less than a minute due to a strain on his right hamstring. Nevertheless, the Nets won the first two games of the series at home in a convincing fashion.
The Bucks then claimed a home win in Game Three. And in Game Four, Nets Irving lost due to a sprained ankle in the first half. He also lost the net and appeared to be losing momentum with the best of seven series suddenly tied at two.
But in Game 5, Durant amassed one of the greatest playoffs of all time, finishing 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists and becoming the first player to score those numbers in a playoff game. Harden made a surprising return for that match, but was largely ineffective. The Bucks led by as much as 17 points, only for Durant to nearly wipe out his lead in the second half. Jeff Green appeared to fill in some of the gap left by Irving, scoring a game-high 27 points, the most points off the bench from a net in post-season history.
The Bucks returned with a solid performance from their co-stars in Game 6, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday scoring 89 out of 104 points for the Bucks.
Throughout the series, the Nets tried to take advantage of Antetokounmpo’s ineffectiveness as a shooter, a weakness that had bothered him during several qualifying rounds. Defenders routinely left him open on the perimeter or sent him to the free-throw line, where he also struggled. This made Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP winner, less of a threat late in the games.
But Antetokounmpo still managed to have one of the best series of his career. Over his first six games, he averaged 30.5 points and 12.8 rebounds per game at a 56.5% shot. He was good enough to get the Bucks in Game 7, and to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in Antetokounmpo’s career.
The Nets had a hard time getting productions from role players, many of whom had career years. Joe Harris, one of the best shooters in the NBA, has struggled in all of the series—he shot just 35.5 percent of the field and only 32.5 percent of 3 during his first six games.
The Bucks’ series win brings them one step closer to winning their first championship since 1971, when the team was led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they will face the winner of another semi-final match, between the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. That match heads into Game 7 on Sunday, after the Sixers tied the series behind a solid performance from Seth Curry on Friday. The Eastern Conference finals are scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The Nets missed a chance to reach their first conference finals since 2002 and 2003, when they were in New Jersey led by Jason Kidd. Both years, the Nets went to the finals. They haven’t won a championship since the ABA’s merger with the NBA in 1976.
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