GIANNIS Antetokounmpo scored 40 points, including the tying basket in overtime and Khris Middleton hit the go-ahead shot with 40.7 seconds left as the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a 115-111 victory over the host Brooklyn Nets Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Bucks survived a 48-point performance by Kevin Durant, overcame losing the first two games, including a 39-point loss in Game 2 and advanced to the conference finals for the 10th time in team history and second time in three seasons.
Antetokounmpo capped a 15-for-24 shooting performance by hitting a turnaround hook shot in the lane over Kevin Durant with 72 seconds left and the Bucks took the lead for good when Middleton hit a fadeaway 12-footer just over 30 seconds later.
Following Middleton’s clutch shot, Durant missed a 10-foot fadeaway with 34.7 seconds left.
After Middleton missed a 12-footer with 14.9 seconds left, Durant missed a 23-foot turnaround jumper with three-tenths of a second left and Brook Lopez sealed it at the line.
The Nets had taken a 111-109 lead on a putback by Brown 22 seconds into overtime and neither team scored until Antetokounmpo’s turnaround hook shot over Durant.
The third-seeded Bucks will face Sunday’s (Monday in Manila) Game 7 winner between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals.
The Nets forced overtime in dramatic fashion after blowing a five-point lead in the final four minutes of regulation. Durant forged a 109-109 deadlock when he hit a well-contested 23-footer over P.J. Tucker with 1.6 seconds left. Officials confirmed via replay that Durant’s toe was on the 3-point line.
