Photo via Twitter / Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are just one win away from their first NBA Finals in 47 years, and they now have two opportunities to get there after a 123-112 win on Thursday night. The win gives the Bucks a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals series.
The game did not feature either of the series’ main stars, as Giannis Antetokounmpo was out with a left knee hyperextension, and Atlanta’s Trae Young was still reeling from a bone bruise sustained in game three of the series. Fortunately, the remainder of the Bucks’ lineup, headlined by Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, were able to utilize their depth to make strong plays from start to finish.
The game opened, as many have in this series, with a big offensive run from the home team. Milwaukee got off to a 10-2 lead and never looked back, thanks to the play of Middleton and Holiday to start, with important defensive stops to rattle the Hawks. That lead would balloon up to 20 points in the first quarter.
The leading scorer of the night, however, was center Brook Lopez with 33 points, thanks to a commanding presence in the paint. The Bucks also got a boost from Bobby Portis, who chipped in 22 points and was a catalyst for the team’s overall energy whenever they needed it. Four of the five starters for Milwaukee finished with over 20 points, spreading the offense in lieu of having Giannis available to work his magic in an isolation situation. Fortunately, the star power and shot making ability from the rest of the Bucks’ lineup have proven to be a great supporting cast all year, and they were once again able to step up when the time called for it.
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Atlanta would close the gap to as low as nine points by halftime, but Milwaukee came back out of the tunnel with the same intensity as the first half, knowing full well what was on the line. Thursday night essentially kicked off a best-of-three series to clinch an NBA Finals birth, with two of those games in Milwaukee. The Bucks will now have two chances to close the series out, beginning with game six in Atlanta on Saturday night.
Photo Credit: Blaine Schultz
With two separate big screens showing the Bucks game at the Deer District and a full house inside the Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee Bucks fans witnessed a win over the Atlanta Hawks Thursday night, 123-112 to lead the series 3-2. At the final buzzer the outdoor crowd erupted, chanting "Bucks in six! Bucks in six!" Another win and Milwaukee clinches a spot in the NBA Finals.
Outside of the arena, thousands gathered to watch the game at the Deer District, with roars coming out of every downtown establishment within the area on each made basket. It is truly an anomaly to have July basketball in Milwaukee, and it made for an atmosphere unlike any other. Here’s hoping that it will become more commonplace in the next few years.
Game six of the Eastern Conference finals tips off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night from Atlanta, airing nationally on TNT. The Deer District will once again be filled with thousands of fans, who will be looking to celebrate the Bucks on a Saturday night of a holiday weekend. The Bucks have a chance to reach their first NBA Finals in nearly half a century on Saturday, which would undoubtedly ignite the biggest party of the summer.
