NBA Playoffs: Top Moments from Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 6

The Eastern Conference finals could come to an end on Saturday, but not without a fight. 

The Milwaukee Bucks hope to close out the series and advance to their first NBA Finals since 1974, while the Atlanta Hawks will look to avoid elimination in Game 6.

The Bucks are without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remains out after he hyperextended his knee in a Game 4 loss. 

On the other side, Hawks’ star Trae Young returned for Game 6. The 22-year-old accidentally stepped on an official’s foot in the third quarter of the Hawks’ Game 3 loss, suffering a bone bruise in his right foot that caused him to miss the last two games of the series.

If the Bucks win, they’ll move on to compete against Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. But if the Hawks prevail, Atlanta will force a Game 7 in Milwaukee on Monday.

Here are the top moments from Game 6:

Saturday’s game got off to a rocky start. Right out of the gate, the first few minutes were riddled with turnovers and bad shots … and bad passes. But the Bucks were able to get into the swing of things first, attacking the paint early. 

Once again, Jrue Holiday stepped up early for the Bucks in the absence of Antetokounmpo.

The veteran guard was on fire with eight of the Bucks’ first 28 points.

Midway through the first frame, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez – who also ended the first frame with eight points for the Bucks – connected on an alley-oop to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 15-4.

For more up-to-date news on all things Bucks, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Things got off to a slower start for Atlanta. Young made his first basket of the night on a driving layup that left him on the ground. He finished with three points before exiting the game with 3:42 left in the first.

It was Bogdan Bogdanovic who led the Hawks with seven points in the first.

For more up-to-date news on all things Hawks, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

The Bucks went on an 8-0 run as the minutes ticked down, ending the first period in the lead, 28-24.

In the second quarter, Jeff Teague sunk back-to-back 3-pointers for the Bucks, while Pat Connaughton slid right past the Hawks’ defenders with his fancy footwork. 

On the other side, Atlanta went 0-4 right out of the gate, which prompted the return of Young, who checked back into the game with 9:11 left to play in the second. Young finally got in on the action with the in-and-out dribble to score late in the second and keep the Bucks within arms reach. 

However, the Hawks’ star got his first technical foul of the night after exchanging words with the official – and it’s safe to say he felt some type of way about it.

In the second frame, Young went 1-for-5 for a mere two points. 

If only he had as much gas in the tank as Harry the Hawk …

In total in the first half, the Hawks shot 6-for-18 (33%) from the floor – including 2-for-10 from 3-point range and 2-for-7 from Young’s passes alone.

At the half, the Bucks were up by four, 47-43. Holiday led the Bucks with 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Bogdanovic led all scorers with 11 points at the break. 

Khris Middleton opened the third quarter applying more pressure on the Hawks. He put on a show, exploding for 16 points in just the first four minutes of the third.

And Antetokounmpo, who was watching intently from the sidelines, couldn’t get enough of it. 

After putting up just five points in the first half, Middleton racked up 23 points for the Bucks in the third quarter, and his scoring boost kept Milwaukee in a position of power with a double-digit lead, 91-72, heading into the final frame.

For more up-to-date news on all things NBA, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more.