Dairyland Express
Fansided

Milwaukee Bucks force game 7, Middleton has career game

By Steven Schauer

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets in Game One of the Second Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on June 05, 2021 in New York City. 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 Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks handles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets in Game One of the Second Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on June 05, 2021 in New York City. 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 Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

These are the Milwaukee Bucks that fans have come to expect, a team that dominated a 104-89 game 6 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

The Milwaukee Bucks led wire-to-wire and were up by as many as 21 to stay alive in the Eastern Conference semifinal series and force a game 7 on Saturday at 7:30 pm CT in Brooklyn.

Milwaukee didn’t have a choice but to show up and flex its muscle. It was the only option if it wanted the season to play on.

Critics have solely focused their attention on Brooklyn’s ‘Big 3’ of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Bucks fans should get on the rooftops and let those talking heads know the ‘Big 3’ instead resides in Milwaukee.

Khris Middleton shined with a career playoff-high 38 points on 11-of-16 shooting (11-of-12 at the free-throw line). He also added 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 17 rebounds and three assists. Jrue Holiday quietly recorded 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Are those numbers enough to be considered the ‘Big 3’? You bet.

What Milwaukee’s ‘Big 3’ has done more times than not in the series is play aggressive on both ends of the court.

The Nets got to within five points with 8:41 to go in the game before the Milwaukee Bucks responded with a scoring run that slammed the door shut. A 14-0 run that was capped with a Giannis dunk pushed the advantage to 19 points and sealed the deal.

One player that can’t go without being mentioned is P.J. Tucker. The forward has been in lockdown mode on Durant all series and finished with just one field goal in the victory. That isn’t the important part, it was his +30 in the all-important +/- statistic. When he is on the court the Bucks are just a better team.

Milwaukee struggled again from long range, shooting 7-of-33 (21.2 percent), but made up for it with 15 offensive rebounds, a 20-8 advantage in points off turnovers and outscored the Nets 26-4 on the fast break.

Brooklyn played without Kyrie Irving, who went down in game 4 with a sprained ankle, but still had two of its big dogs. Durant scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He scored 12 of his 32 in the third quarter.

Harden struggled at times because of Milwaukee’s defense and finished with 16 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals.

Notes: The home team has won each of the first six games in this series. Middleton was the first player in NBA history with a 30/10/5/5 line and five or more 3-pointers in a playoff game, according to StatMuse.

Home/Milwaukee Bucks