The Milwaukee Bucks advance to the NBA Finals after defeating the Atlanta Hawks

Mon 5th July 2021

With Giannis Antetokounmpo still on the sidelines, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday put the Milwaukee Bucks on their backs, beating the Atlanta Hawks 118-107 in Game Six. That win allowed the Bucks to win the Eastern Conference Finals, 4-2, and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.

Milwaukee got out to an early 28-24 lead after the first quarter and held that margin through to halftime in a tough, low scoring affair. They then broke things open in the third quarter, scoring 44 points and extending their lead to 19.

Atlanta attempted to fight back in the fourth but ultimately couldn’t make up enough ground, losing the game and seeing their season come to a close.

Cam Reddish put in his best performance as a pro, scoring 21 points off the bench thanks to 6-7 shooting from three. Bogdan Bogdanovic continued to score and shoot well, finishing with 20 points on 58.3% shooting, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bucks.

Even without Giannis, the Bucks still have three former All Stars on their roster, with two of them playing exceptionally well in the series clinching victory. Middleton led all scorers with 32 points while adding seven assists and three steals while Holiday filled the stat sheet with 27 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, four steals and two blocks!

After ending the Hawks’ season in six games, the Bucks now turn their attention to the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. They don’t have home court advantage in this one, but that didn’t trouble them against Brooklyn int the Conference Semifinals however they will be sweating on the health of Antetokounmpo.

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