Eastern Conference Finals

C U T T I N G D O W N T H E N E T S

Holiday drove past Brown in Game 7 (top); Bobby Portis attacked in Game 2 (top); Antetokounmpo and Pat Connaughton celebrated after the end of Game 7 (opposite).

E A S T E R N C O N F E R E N C E S E M I F I N A L S

in 98 minutes. Durant, meanwhile, led Brooklyn with 32 points on only 18 shots. As the series moved to Milwaukee, it felt inevitable that the Nets would advance.

But in 2020–21 the Bucks succeeded because of their toughness, with new additions Bobby Portis and P.J. Tucker helping to set the tone. In Game 3 the 6' 5" , 245-pound Tucker hounded Durant all night, bodying him in the post and hand-checking him on the perimeter. Despite going scoreless, Tucker finished with a teambest plus-10 in an 86–83 victory.

In taking Game 4, 107–96, to even the series, Tucker and the Bucks’ defense held Durant to 9-of-25 shooting. And when Irving, the All-Star point guard, suffered an ankle injury midway through the second quarter that would sideline him for rest of the conference semis, Milwaukee’s prospects brightened.

Back at the Barclays Center, Harden returned from his hamstring injury to fill in for Irving. But the story was Durant, who delivered a virtuoso performance with 49 points, prompting perhaps the most modest superstar quote in history from Antetokounmpo after a 114–108 loss: “He’s the best player in the world right now. ”

A big night from Middleton—he scored 38 points on 11-of-16 shooting—helped the Bucks to a 104–89 win at Fiserv Forum. That set up Game 7 in Brooklyn.

It was a battle between Antetokounmpo and Durant. The Nets’ lone fully healthy star hoisted 36 shots on the way to 50 points. But Milwaukee’s two-time MVP was up for the battle, finishing with 40 points and 13 rebounds.

With the Bucks up 109–107, the outcome hinged on KD’s toes. He plays in a sneaker that is larger than what he would don in a casual setting, going from a size 17 to a size 18 for more room and cushion. Durant caught an inbounds pass near the right sideline and drove toward the top of the arc with Tucker on him. As Holiday raced in to help, Durant turned back toward the sideline and launched a fadeaway. With 1.0 seconds left, the ball dropped through the net.

But was it a two or a three? Did Durant’s improbable shot tie the game or win it? A replay review showed that Durant’s shoe narrowly clipped the line, and soon the game went into overtime. Durant had emptied the tank over the first 48 minutes; with Irving out and Harden limited, another five minutes was too much to ask.

In OT the Nets could muster only an early layup from swingman Bruce Brown. The Bucks’ offense wasn’t much better, but a Giannis hook over Durant, a tough Middleton jumper and two late free throws from Brook Lopez were enough for the 115–111 win.

Thanks to Durant’s oversized shoe, Milwaukee was finally able to take the next step.

W E N D E L L C R U Z / U S A T O D A Y S P O R T S ( H O L I D A Y ) ; S T E V E N R Y A N / G E T T Y I M A G E S ( P O R T I S ) ; N A T H A N I E L S . B U T L E R / N B A E / G E T T Y I M A G E S ( C E L E B R A T I O N )

E A S T E R N C O N F E R E N C E F IN A L S B U C K S D E F E A T H A W K S 4 – 2

WE GOT THIS

A F T E R G I A N N I S W E N T D O W N I N G A M E 4 , M I L W A U K E E ’ S S U P P O R T I N G C A S T S T E P P E D U P A N D T O O K D O W N AT L A N TA

BY ELIZ A BETH SW IN TON

IT SUR E F ELT as if the injury bug were playing a game of tag during this postseason, knocking out one NBA starter after another. The Bucks’ turn came in Game 4 of their series against the Hawks, when Giannis Antetokounmpo leaped to defend a lob to center Clint Capela. Giannis’s left knee bent backward as he landed, and he grimaced while lying on his side for more than a minute. “When it happened, ” Antetokounmpo later said, “I thought I would be out for a year. ” Left unspoken was the damage that would then be done to Milwaukee’s playoff fortunes.

Giannis was pleasantly surprised when he was diagnosed with a mere hyperextension after the game, and an exam the next day confirmed that he had suffered no major structural damage. While the injury would keep him on the bench for the rest of the series, it at least left open the possibility of a postseason return. Still, the Bucks—who went on to lose Game 4, 110–88, to leave the series tied—would need to close out an overachieving Atlanta team without the help of the two-time MVP.

S C O T T C U N N I N G H A M / N B A E / G E T T Y I M A G E S

S TA R T U R N

WIth Giannis out, Middleton paced the Bucks with 32 points as they disposed of the Hawks in Game 6, 118–107.