Photo via Twitter / Bucks
The 4th of July fireworks began early in Milwaukee on Saturday night, as all of Downtown collectively celebrated the Milwaukee Bucks advancing to their first NBA Finals in 47 years.
Going into the game, the Bucks obviously had a lot to play for, but a 3-2 series lead with the potential of a game seven at home allowed some margin for error. Milwaukee was determined to finish the series on the road, in six, as has been the motto. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court, and a returning Trae Young for Atlanta, things weren’t going to be easy, and a team effort helped push the Bucks to the 118-107 win.
While both teams have generally gotten off to hot starts in this series, Milwaukee was able to turn the tables on Saturday, breaking out to a 15-4 lead out of the gate. Things stayed tight in the first, but a second spurt of offense late helped the Bucks cling to a lead. The Hawks never led on Saturday, with Milwaukee’s offense able to best Atlanta when they needed it, and their defense providing clutch turnovers to help maintain their lead. The Bucks were looking for three-pointers as the teams headed towards halftime, but neither could convert with regularity. That would change in the second half.
Milwaukee took a four-point lead into halftime, but the offense, led by Khris Middleton, came to life in the third quarter. Middleton got hot, and put together a run of 16 straight points for the Bucks, igniting the team. The Bucks’ attack was well-balanced, though, with six players scoring in double figures before the night was done. Jrue Holiday nearly recorded a triple-double, with 27 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds. Spreading the ball was key to the win, as well as extraordinary offensive contributions from Pat Connaughton and Jeff Teague, the latter of whom had not seen much playing time in the regular season.
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Atlanta didn’t go down without a fight, however. Milwaukee coasted on a 19-point lead heading into the final quarter of play, and a Finals birth was all but imminent. That lead would diminish to as low as six points, however, thanks to a flurry of miscues from the Bucks and conversions from the Hawks. When things got tight down the stretch, it took the combination of a layup from Jrue Holiday and a pair of free throws from Khris Middleton to pull momentum back in the right direction, before a thunderous alley-oop from Brook Lopez put the exclamation point on the series. Fans in Milwaukee were celebrating before the final buzzer sounded.
Photo Credit: Allen Halas
Thousands of fans gathered in the Deer District outside of Fiserv Forum for the game, with enormous roars for each made basket and various chants throughout the night. The sound was deafening once the game ended, punctuated by a fireworks display to celebrate Milwaukee’s first conference championship since 1974. The party spilled out into Downtown for the remainder of the night, complete with fireworks, car horns, and pure jubilation from fans who had waited so eagerly for this moment. A large group of fans greeted the team early in the morning upon their arrival back in Milwaukee, complete with an Eastern Conference Championship trophy.
All eyes are on the Bucks now, as the team begins their NBA Finals series with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. Game one of the NBA Finals will tip off at 8 p.m. from Phoenix, with coverage nationally on ABC for the entire series. Games three and four will be held in Milwaukee, on July 11 and 14 respectively.
Milwaukee hasn’t hosted a major league sports championship series since the Brewers’ last World Series appearance in 1982, so take in this moment, Bucks fans. Hopefully there are many more exciting ones to come.
