Bucks 86, Nets 83: Milwaukee cuts series deficit to 2-1 in front of capacity crowd
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The Milwaukee Bucks sure know how to play with the emotions of their first capacity crowd at Fiserv Forum this season.
Facing a must-win game against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the Bucks bolted to a 21-point lead after the first quarter but then blew most of it with a disastrous second.
Somehow the Bucks found a way to grind their way to an 86-83 victory, cutting the Nets’ lead to 2-1 in the second-round series.
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Milwaukee was carried by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, who combined for 68 points. Jrue Holiday overcame a rough performance to score the go-ahead basket.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer opted not to make any changes to his starting lineup.
Milwaukee came out much more aggressive, especially Antetokounmpo. After settling mostly for jump shots in Game 2, Antetokounmpo hunted shots in the paint early. He had seven points, including two massive dunks that fired up the crowd, as the Bucks raced to a 9-0 lead.
Brooklyn missed its first seven shots before head coach Steve Nash called a timeout at the 8:25 mark.
BOX SCORE: Bucks 86, Nets 83
The lead stretched to 30-11 at the end of the first quarter with Antetokounmpo and Middleton combining for all the Bucks’ points in that stretch on 12-for-17 shooting.
It was a welcome sight for the Bucks that Middleton was knocking down shots after missing his first eight shots in Game 2.
The Nets were ice cold, shooting 5 for 25 (20%) in the first quarter, including 1 for 9 on three-pointers. Brooklyn stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined to shoot 3 for 12.
Irving hit his first two attempts in the second quarter and Landry Shamet added a three-pointer from the top of the key, leading to a timeout by Budenholzer at the 10:47
Holiday scored the first points from a Bucks player other than Middleton or Antetokounmpo when he knocked down a baseline jumper at the 9:31 mark of the second quarter.
Four straight baskets in the paint by the Nets’ Bruce Brown cut the Bucks’ lead to 32-26, prompting another timeout by Budenholzer with 7:43 remaining in the first half.
The Nets closed within 33-31 when Durant knocked down a free throw, but the Bucks eased some of the tension in the building with Middleton connecting on a midrange jumper and then Bobby Portis scoring on an offensive rebound.
Portis provided some energy late in the second quarter, chasing down a loose ball and then finding Holiday in the corner for a three-pointer that gave the Bucks a 42-37 advantage.
But the Nets wouldn’t go away and got within 44-42 when Joe Harris knocked down a three-pointer.
Milwaukee headed into the locker room with a 45-42 lead after Middleton’s wide-open three-pointer rimmed out in the waning seconds.
Middleton and Antetokounmpo had 36 of the Bucks’ points. The Nets shot 3 for 15 (20%) on three-pointers in the first half.
The teams battled back and forth throughout the early portion of the third quarter with the Bucks never pushing the lead past five points. The Nets closed the gap to 55-54 when Durant hit a tough three-pointer, causing Budenholzer to use his first timeout of the second half at the 7:04 mark.
Another three by Durant tied the game at 57-57 a few minutes later, but the Bucks’ Brook Lopez answered with a triple of his own. It was Lopez’s first points of the game.
Brooklyn took its first lead at 65-64 with just over a minute left in third when Durant drove and found Brown for another basket in the paint. Middleton was fouled on a three-pointer on the Bucks’ next possession and he made all three free throws and Milwaukee entered the fourth quarter with a 67-65 lead.
After Irving gave the Nets a 70-69 lead early in the fourth, Antetokounmpo knocked down two free throws and a three-pointer. Before that flurry he was 0 for 6 on threes and 2 of 7 from the line.
The teams fell into a cold funk and entered the final 3:10 tied at 76-76.
Middleton and Durant traded baskets on four straight possessions. But, after a Middleton miss, Durant gave the Nets an 83-80 lead on a three with 1:23 left.
The Bucks grabbed back the lead when Middleton had a shot goal-tended and Holiday drove for a left-handed layup with 11.4 seconds left.
The Nets’ play after a timeout went nowhere and Brown missed a shot in the paint after a scramble.
Middleton sank two free throws and Durant missed a long three-pointer at the buzzer.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks 86, Nets 83: Milwaukee cuts series deficit to 2-1 in front of capacity crowd