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Milwaukee Bucks escape with playoff win over Nets

By Steven Schauer

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 10: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against Blake Griffin #2 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half of Game Three of the Eastern Conference second round playoff series at the Fiserv Forum on June 10, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 10: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against Blake Griffin #2 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half of Game Three of the Eastern Conference second round playoff series at the Fiserv Forum on June 10, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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It was one off-balance 3-point shot from going into overtime, but the Milwaukee Bucks escaped with an 86-83 game 3 victory over the Brooklyn Nets to extend the series.

The Milwaukee Bucks still trail as Brooklyn leads the series 2-1 and game 4 is Sunday at 2 p.m. CT at Fiserv Forum.

Brooklyn had to scramble after a bad inbounds pass with 2.1 seconds to play but eventually got the ball into Kevin Durant’s hands. He had a decent look at a 28-foot 3-pointer while fading away to his left that banged off the back iron.

Seconds earlier the Nets looked like they expected the Bucks to call timeout with less than 20 seconds to play and down by a point. Jrue Holiday didn’t call timeout and instead spun and made a layup to give Milwaukee a one-point lead with 11.4 seconds to play.

It was that heads-up play and trust by head coach Mike Budenholzer that eventually allowed Milwaukee to sneak out the victory.

Holiday talked about his decision to not call timeout and instead attack the rim.

Milwaukee charged out to a game-high 21-point cushion in the opening quarter and appeared to have reignited its offensive prowess. That lead slipped away in the second quarter.

It then turned into a defensive slugfest the rest of the way. Two of the NBA’s highest-scoring teams combined for just 169 points on Thursday night. Milwaukee and Brooklyn combined to average 238.7 points in the regular season.

Middleton — a career 87.9 percent free-throw shooter — calmly sank a pair of free throws to put the Milwaukee Bucks ahead by three with 2.1 seconds to play. He scored eight of the final 10 Milwaukee points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said postgame that it was important to get the win to stay alive in the series.

It was Middleton that was the star late in the game and had a game-high 35 points to go along with 15 rebounds. Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds.

Antetokounmpo and Middleton set an NBA playoff record by scoring the highest percentage of any team’s points by a duo.

Brooklyn was again without star James Harden who injured his right hamstring 43 seconds into the opening game of the series. They were also without Jeff Green.

Durant had 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals for the Nets. Kyrie Irvin tallied 22 points and Bruce Brown recorded 16 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

Milwaukee did earn the win, but its 3-point shooting is still something to be desired. They went 6-of-31 (19.4 percent) in the game from deep and are now 20-of-88 (22.7 percent) in the series.

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