Giannis Antetokounmpo willed the Bucks to victory with an incredible performance consisting of 40 points and 13 rebounds. The Bucks will head to the Eastern Conference Finals after defeating the Nets 115-111 in overtime of Game 7 at the Barclays Center.
Antetokounmpo was a key player for the Bucks as their two other stars, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, struggled for the majority of regulation. However, in the final minutes when the game was on the line, all three players excelled.
Kevin Durant scored 48 points going 17 of 36 on field goals and playing all 53 minutes of the game, however his performance was not enough.
Middleton scored the game-winner, a 13-foot jumper with 40.7 seconds remaining. Middleton’s massive bucket put the Bucks ahead 113-111.
Following Middleton’s shot, the Nets had several chances but failed to convert on in their next two possessions. Both possessions resulted in a missed two-point attempt by Durant. Durant’s final miss left just 0.3 seconds left on the game clock.
In the remaining moments of the game, the Nets committed a foul on Brook Lopez and sent him to the free-throw line. Lopez proceeded to drain both shots, providing a four-point advantage for the Bucks.
Despite Durant’s two late-game misses, he is not to blame for the loss as he hit an incredible 24-foot jumper with just 1.6 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
Notable Performances:
- Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo: 40 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists
- Bucks G Jrue Holiday: 13 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds
- Bucks G/F Khris Middleton: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals
- Nets F Kevin Durant: 48 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists
- Nets G James Harden: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists
- Nets F Blake Griffin: 17 points, 11 rebounds
The Milwaukee Bucks will make their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the last three seasons. The Bucks will face the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their series.
