By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Game 6, Trae Young returned, but the Bucks and Khris Middleton were more than ready. With a 118-107 road win, the Bucks qualified with 4-2 wins to the NBA Finals where they will face the Phoenix Suns.
Khris Middleton made things happen, scoring 23 of his 32 points in the third period. The Bucks scored in total 44 in those 12 minutes, getting a 91-72 lead and not looking back after that.
Jrue Holiday with 27 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists had also a big game for the Bucks who got two straight wins without injured Giannis Antetokounmpo to get the Eastern Conference title after the Hawks tied the series at 2-2.
“Man, me and Khris were turning that thing over, weren’t we?” Holiday said after the game. “But at the end of the day, Khris carried us. Khris carried us there for a lot of it. Just leaving his heart out there; if we’re gonna go down, we’re gonna go down on his shoulders. I’m riding with him — riding right into the Finals.”
With less than four minutes left in the game, Atlanta trimmed the Bucks lead to six points (107-101), but they couldn’t complete the comeback and force a Game 7.
Young scored just 14 points and dished nine assists after missing the previous two games of the series due to injury.
Cam Reddish came off the bench to score 21 points on 6/7 threes, Serb guard Bogdan Bogdanovic added 20, and Italian forward Danilo Gallinari had 13 and seven rebounds. Swiss big man Clint Capela had a double-double (14 p. 10 r.) for the Hawks.