Giannis Powers Bucks to Thrilling Game 7 OT Win to Eliminate Kevin Durant, Nets
June 20, 2021
Giannis Antetokounmpo's 40-point, 13-rebound performance propelled the Milwaukee Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals after they defeated the host Brooklyn Nets 115-111 in overtime in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series at Barclays Center.
Nets forward Kevin Durant played all 53 minutes and led all scorers with 48 points on 17-of-36 shooting.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton nailed a 13-foot game-winning jumper with 40.7 seconds remaining to give Milwaukee a 113-111 advantage.
The Nets had chances to tie or take the lead on their next two possessions, but a pair of Durant two-point jumpers were off the mark, with the latter miss ending with just three-tenths of a second remaining.
After a Nets foul, Bucks center Brook Lopez closed the scoring with a pair of free throws.
Durant hit an epic 24-foot jumper with 1.6 seconds remaining in regulation just to force overtime:
However, it wasn't meant to be for the Nets.
Milwaukee will make its second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in three seasons after defeating the Nets four games to three in the best-of-seven matchup.
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
Bucks' Big 3 Delivers Enough Clutch Plays to Seal Series Win
Antetokounmpo dragged the Bucks to the fourth quarter with a sensational performance as Middleton and Jrue Holiday largely struggled for the majority of regulation, but all three excelled down the stretch to put Milwaukee into the Eastern Conference Finals.
Antetokounmpo was simply phenomenal all game but also delivered late. His floater with under three minutes left in the fourth tied the game at 101:
A rock fight ensued in overtime, as two gassed teams went up and down the court without generating much offense outside a Bruce Brown two-pointer over the first 3:48 of the extra session.
Antetokounmpo put a stop to the Bucks' cold spell, however, backing down Durant and tying the game at 111.
As for his teammates, Middleton and Holiday combined to shoot just 14-of-49 (4-of-16 from three-point range) but the two of them delivered when the Bucks needed them the most.
Aside from Middleton's aforementioned game-winner, the back-to-back All-Star also scored 11 fourth-quarter points, including a huge three-pointer to cut the Nets' fourth-quarter lead to 101-99:
It was a huge shot after James Harden had just sent the Barclays Center crowd into a frenzy with a bank-shot three-pointer as the shot clock expired.
Middleton also came up with a huge steal (his fifth of the game) and got fouled on the other end, leading to two made free throws to put his team up 109-105 late in regulation.
ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry shouted out Middleton's fourth quarter and overtime:
The Bucks aren't getting to that point if not for Holiday, who began the game shooting just 2-of-17 but came through when his team needed him to deliver.
Holiday delivered assists on Middleton's answer to Harden and Antetokounmpo's ensuing game-tying layup. He then went to work himself, nailing a three-pointer, a 16-foot jumper and 1-of-2 free throws on successive possessions to put Milwaukee up 107-105:
Milwaukee finished with the best regular-season record during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons but fell short in the Eastern Conference playoffs each time.
It looked like the Bucks would do so again Saturday, but the Bucks' Big Three had other ideas.
Now they're in the Eastern Conference Finals in search of their first NBA championship berth since 1974.
Durant Sensational in Defeat
Durant may be going home, but he won't be doing so before adding another chapter in his legendary, future Hall of Fame career.
For starters, Durant ended the night with the highest-scoring total in Game 7 history:
He also joined some elite company along the way:
Durant was so great that Los Angeles Lakers legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson gave credit where it was due postgame:
And Antetokounmpo did too:
Durant, who suffered a ruptured Achilles two years ago that forced him to miss the entire 2020-21 season, was a human highlight reel Saturday.
KD threw down a hammer dunk despite being hacked by Bucks guard Pat Connaughton:
He later slithered into the lane and got by the Bucks defense with relative ease:
Durant excelled in the mid-range too, nailing a running one-footer:
He also took Holiday to school:
KD finished the Bucks series averaging 35.4 points on 51.0 percent shooting, 10.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He averaged 42.7 minutes for the series and sat just eight minutes total from Games 5 to 7.
KD needed to carry the offense with a sidelined Kyrie Irving (sprained right ankle) and an injured but playing Harden (right hamstring tightness), and he did so against a team that could very well finish this season as the NBA champion.
His season may have ended with a loss, but Durant still authored one of the best playoff performances in the NBA's 75-season history.
What's Next?
The Bucks will play the Philadelphia 76ers or Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Philadelphia will host Atlanta in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series on Sunday to determine Milwaukee's opponent.