Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton keep Bucks alive in Game 6

All eyes were on the Milwaukee Bucks after they blew a 17-point lead in Game 5 to go down 3-2 against the Brooklyn Nets.

Facing elimination on their home court of Fiserv Forum on Thursday night, it was now or never for a Bucks team that had fallen short of expectations each of the last two postseasons. Would they exit the playoffs early once again or would they respond?

It turns out the Bucks weren’t quite ready for summer vacation, and they came together in a major way, winning Game 6 104-89 to force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday.

And it should come as no surprise that the two players at the center of the Bucks’ big night were two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and two-time All-Star Khris Middleton.

After a disappointing finish to Game 5, Antetokounmpo took the brunt of the blame during the following news cycle.

In Game 6, he scored 30 points to go along with 17 rebounds.

He was also masterful in the fourth quarter, scoring seven points after the Nets cut the lead to five points to make sure that the Bucks would not repeat their collapse of Game 5.

But the most important number of the night for the Bucks and Antetokounmpo was 0. For the first time this postseason, Antetokounmpo did not attempt a 3-point field goal. Instead, he scored 23 of his 30 points in the paint, which was the winning formula for the Bucks.

But despite his great game, Antetokounmpo wasn’t the leading scorer on the night for the Bucks. That honor went to Middleton.

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Middleton scored 19 points in each half on his way to a playoff career-high 38 points. He also contributed 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals, and made 11 of his 16 field goal attempts.

This was a far cry from the 8-for-22 shooting performance that he produced in Game 5.

Now the Bucks will return to Barclays Center for Game 7, a place they have yet to collect a win in this series, losing those contests by an average margin of 17.6 points.

If Antetokounmpo and Middleton can replicate their performance from Thursday night, there is a chance they can end that losing streak and advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in the last three seasons.

“Both teams, it’s win or go home,” Middleton said after the game. “That’s what Game 7’s all about. That’s what players love about it. I’m sure the fans love it, too.”

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