Bucks, Celtics, Knicks advance in NBA In-Season Tournament

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and Damian Lillard added 32 as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Miami, 131-124, on Tuesday to reach the knockout rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament.

On the final night of group-stage play in the NBA's inaugural version of a World Cup, the Bucks won the East Group B crown at 4-0, taking the top Eastern Conference seed in the fight to reach next month's semi-finals in Las Vegas.

"We completed the task," Milwaukee's Khris Middleton said. "To get to Vegas now, we've got to do a little bit more.

"We want it. We're hungry for it. It's exciting times for us. We want to go to Vegas so we're happy."

The quarterfinals will find Boston at Indiana and New Orleans at Sacramento on Monday, with New York at Milwaukee and Phoenix at the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday.

Boston routed Chicago, 124-97, to win East Group C and advance, while New York, second behind Milwaukee in Group B, beat Charlotte, 115-91, and advanced as a wildcard based on superior point differential over Cleveland, 42-29.

Sacramento edged Golden State, 124-123, to win West Group C, rallying from 24 points down in the second quarter to advance.

The Warriors knew they had to win by 12 points to win the group on a point differential tiebreaker and took a 72-55 half-time lead before the Kings, led by 29 points from De'Aaron Fox, rallied late to trim the margin then swipe the triumph.

"We still wanted to win the game, it counts for the regular season, but we knew what the number was," Fox said.

Phoenix took a West wildcard spot when Minnesota beat Oklahoma City, 106-103, while New Orleans won West Group B when the Dallas Mavericks downed visiting Houston, 121-115.

At Miami, the Bucks opened a 15-2 lead, Miami answered with a 16-4 run, then Milwaukee closed the first quarter on a 12-4 spurt for a 31-22 lead.

"We started out great, but it's hard," Middleton said.

"You're just not going to knock a team down in the first five minutes. They did a great job coming back. We did a great job keeping our composure and finding a way to close this thing out."

Miami, lacking Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro due to ankle sprains, led 97-93 after three quarters.

Middleton, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, hit back-to-back jumpers for a four-point lead and dunks by Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo settled matters.

"Thankfully I was able to hit a couple shots," Middleton said. "I'm just happy we won a tough game."

Antetokounmpo made 11-of-16 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line and grabbed 10 rebounds with five assists, while Lillard, 9-of-18 from the floor and 10-of-10 from the line, added nine assists.

At New York, Julius Randle scored 25 points and grabbed 20 rebounds while Immanuel Quickley had 23 points off the bench to spark the Knicks.

Boston needed a lopsided win to advance and got it as Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and passed off six assists to lead the hosts over Chicago.

Jayson Tatum added 21 points and Al Horford had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Celtics.

Injuries hit Warriors 

Golden State's Chris Paul went out in the first quarter with lower left leg soreness and Gary Payton II went down with a right calf injury in the third quarter at Sacramento, which had lost two prior meetings with the Warriors this season.

Golden State's Draymond Green, back from a five-game ban for putting Minnesota's Rudy Gobert in a headlock, received a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing referee calls.

Dallas star Luka Doncic dominated Houston with 41 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Mavs, keeping the Rockets winless on the road this season.

Western Conference overall season leader Minnesota (13-4) hung on to top spot by edging visiting Oklahoma City (11-6).

Anthony Edwards, who left the game with a bruised right hip, led the Timberwolves with 21 points, while Gobert added 17 points and 16 rebounds.

But Phoenix took the West wildcard on point differential 34-0 over Minnesota.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Antetokounmpo sparks Bucks in Sixers rout, Dallas on brink

LOS ANGELES -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points as the Milwaukee Bucks returned to form with a statement 117-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Eastern Conference top seed favourites Milwaukee -- routed 140-99 by Boston in their last outing on Thursday -- bounced back in style to score an emphatic win over the third-placed Sixers.

Antetokounmpo led a balanced Milwaukee offensive display that saw five players finish in double figures in a wire-to-wire victory at Fiserv Forum.

Antetokounmpo finished with 14 rebounds and six assists in addition to his 33-point haul, while Brook Lopez (21 points), Khris Middleton (19) and Jrue Holiday (18) all contributed.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers scoring with 29 points while Joel Embiid added 28.

The win edged Milwaukee closer to sealing top spot in the Eastern Conference.

With four games remaining in the regular season, the Bucks lead the East on 58-22, with Boston second on 54-24.

Philadelphia remain third on 51-27 following Sunday's loss.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer meanwhile said Antetokounmpo's performance confirmed his belief that the Greek star should be the front-runner for the regular season MVP award.

"We certainly feel like Giannis is the MVP," Budenholzer said. "What he does at both ends of the court -- he does everything," Budenholzer said. "We feel like he's in the conversation and he should be the guy."

In other games on Sunday, Western Conference leaders Denver -- still missing Nikola Jokic -- held on for a tense 112-110 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray combined for 55 points as the Nuggets withstood a late Warriors rally to hold on.

Warriors star Klay Thompson missed a last-gasp three-point attempt before a desperate block from Murray thwarted another effort as time ran out.

- Lakers march on, Mavs fading -

In Los Angeles, LeBron James bagged the 107th triple-double of his career as the Lakers continued their late season resurgence with a 134-109 romp over the Houston Rockets.

James finished with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Davis led the Lakers scoring with 40 points.

The Lakers third consecutive victory leaves them seventh in the Western Conference, just one spot outside the automatic postseason places.

In Oklahoma City meanwhile, Kevin Durant scored 35 points against his old club as the Phoenix Suns romped to a 128-118 win over the Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander scored a game-high 39 points for Oklahoma City, who are 10th in the Western Conference, just one win ahead of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavericks' hopes of forcing their into the postseason suffered another blow despite a 41-point performance from Kyrie Irving in Atlanta.

A thrilling duel in Atlanta saw the Hawks squeeze home 132-130 in overtime after Irving gave up a costly foul with 1.8 seconds remaining to hand two game-winning free throws to Trae Young.

It was the final act of a nail-biting encounter which saw Irving lead Dallas back from a 15-point deficit to tie the game after a wild ending to regulation where momentum swung back and forth in the closing seconds.

But Irving's heroics were in vain as he bundled over Young in overtime to give the Atlanta playmaker the chance to win the game that he converted.

Young finished with 24 points and 12 assists while Dejounte Murray led the Hawks scoring with 25 points. Seven Atlanta players finished in double figures.

The victory left Atlanta on course for a place in the play-in tournament with four games of the regular season remaining.

The Hawks are eighth in the East with a 39-39 record.

But Dallas's hopes are fading fast after another costly defeat that followed Saturday's loss to Miami.

"We know the situation we're in -- we're playing catch up," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. "We've got to find a way to win.

"Right now we're coming up short when we need to win games. Unfortunately we're not winning right now."

Elsewhere Sunday, the New York Knicks assured themselves of a first playoff appearance since 2021 with a 118-109 win over the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes scored 27 points apiece while Immanuel Quickley (22 points) and Obi Toppin (21) also came up big for New York.

In other games on Sunday, Chicago staged a stunning comeback from 23 points down to rout the Memphis Grizzlies 128-107 in the Windy City.

Memphis roared into a 68-53 halftime lead but were then blown away after the break as the Bulls poured in 75 second-half points.

Zach LaVine scored 36 points while DeMar DeRozan added 31 to power the Bulls to victory.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Bucks beat Raptors on Giannis triple double as Nets' streak ends

Giannis Antetokounmpo's triple-double sparked the Milwaukee Bucks to a 104-101 overtime victory at Toronto on Wednesday while the Brooklyn Nets saw their 12-game NBA win streak snapped.

Greek superstar Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, pulled down 21 rebounds and passed off 10 assists, the last to set up Grayson Allen's decisive 3-pointer with 11 seconds to play that rescued a Milwaukee triumph.

"You can't do it by yourself. You've got to trust your teammates, make plays for them," Antetokounmpo said.

"I'm trying to be aggressive... but at the end of the day everybody is sucking me in and the guy is open. That last play Grayson was wide open and I was able to get him the ball."

It was the 31st career triple-double for Antetokounmpo and the sixth time he managed 30 points and 20 rebounds in the same game -- heroics coming a night after scoring a career-high 55 points in a victory.

Antetokounmpo, who made 7 of 18 shots from the floor and 15 of 21 from the free throw line, was unhappy with a 28-7 Raptors run to close regulation time, Toronto tying the game at 97-97 on Gary Trent Jr's last-second 3-pointer to force overtime.

"We can't put ourselves in that position," Antetokounmpo said. "We were up 15 with two minutes left.

"But I think we did a good job keeping our composure and executing in the overtime -- finding open spots and defending -- and we were able to get the win."

Fred VanVleet, who led Toronto with 28 points, missed a potential tying 3-pointer at the finish.

DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams each scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead Chicago over Brooklyn, 121-112.

The Bulls (17-21) snapped Brooklyn's 12-game win streak when a victory would have pulled the visiting Nets (25-13) level for the Eastern Conference lead with Boston.

Instead, they share second with the Bucks, one game adrift.

Chicago's triumph spoiled a 44-point effort from Brooklyn's Kevin Durant while Kyrie Irving added 25 points.

Philadelphia's James Harden had 26 points and eight assists while Tobias Harris, De'Anthony Melton and Montrezl Harrell each added 19 points to power the host 76ers over Indiana, 129-126, in overtime.

The 76ers (23-14) were playing without star big man Joel Embiid due to a sore left foot but still snapped Indiana's four-game win streak.

A Harris tip-in with six seconds to play lifted the Sixers level at 120-120 to force overtime. Harris made two free throws with four seconds remaining in the extra session to create the final margin.

 Cavs beat Suns 

Evan Mobley's jumper with four seconds remaining gave Cleveland a 90-88 victory over Phoenix. Caris LeVert led the Cavaliers with 21 points while Donovan Mitchell had 20 and nine assists.

Ja Morant scored 23 points and dished out eight rebounds to spark Memphis in a 131-107 romp at Charlotte as the Grizzlies (24-13) matched Denver for the Western Conference lead.

Anthony Edwards netted 32 points to power the Minnesota Timberwolves over visiting Portland, 113-106.

C.J. McCollum scored 28 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 17 rebounds to lead New Orleans over visiting Houston, 119-108.

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and Julius Randle added 25 points and 13 rebounds to spark host New York over San Antonio, 117-114.

Paolo Banchero, last year's NBA Draft top pick, had 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead host Orlando over Oklahoma City, 126-115.

Saddiq Bey's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Detroit Pistons a 122-119 victory at Golden State. Croatian forward Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 29 points.

John Collins and De'Andre Hunter each scored 22 points to lead Atlanta in a 120-117 triumph at Sacramento.

German guard Denis Schroder shook off an ankle sprain to score a season-high 32 points and lead the Los Angeles Lakers over visiting Miami, 112-109.

Lakers star LeBron James sat out against his former club with a non-COVID illness, joining injured forward Anthony Davis on the sidelines.

Agence France-Presse

 

NBA: Bucks hold on for Game 1 win vs. Bulls

Reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, led by Most Valuable Player award contender Giannis Antetokounmpo, beat the Chicago Bulls 93-86 in their Eastern Conference playoff opener.

Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to lead the Bucks to victory, although foul trouble kept him on the bench for much of the fourth quarter.

Montenegrin center Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 24 points and 17 rebounds, but missed two straight baskets in the paint in the final minute.

The Bucks led by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Bulls taking the lead for the first time with less than three minutes left in the third quarter.

Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday drilled a go-ahead three-pointer with 5:03 remaining, and the Bulls wouldn't get in front again.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Bucks stay dominant at home with easy win over Bulls

Jrue Holiday finished with a game-high 27 points as the Milwaukee Bucks earned a 126-98 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night to record their fifth consecutive home win.

Holiday added seven assists and cashed in on 12 of his 17 field goal attempts to lead the Bucks over their division rival for the third time this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo supplied 25 points and 17 rebounds to notch his third straight double-double, and reserve Pat Connaughton chipped in 14 points while all five starters scored in double figures.

Milwaukee was extremely efficient all night, finishing with its second-highest field goal percentage (61 percent) this season.

Nikola Vucevic finished with a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-15 shooting for Chicago. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine each added 21 points, and Ayo Dosunmu tallied seven off the bench.

The Bucks made 55 percent of their field goals (22 of 40) in the first half to go into the break with a commanding 16-point lead. Milwaukee had led by as much as 26, but the Bulls closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run to trim the deficit.

Antetokounmpo had a double-double in the first half alone, pacing the Bucks with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Brook Lopez added 10 points, and Connaughton scored nine. Milwaukee also dominated on the glass, hauling in 28 rebounds compared to Chicago's 16.

Vucevic led all scorers with 15 points, and LaVine added 12. Chicago got just four points from its bench, while the Bucks got 18.

The Bulls brought things within 10 in the third quarter, but Milwaukee answered and extended its lead to 22 by the fourth. Despite his team's struggles, DeRozan caught fire, scoring 12 points.

Antetokounmpo got off to a fast start, collecting 10 points and five rebounds in the first quarter. Eight of those points came during a 13-0 run over the final 3:17 of the frame which allowed the Bucks to jump out to an early 33-20 lead.

-reuters-

NBA: Bucks roll over Clippers, win second straight out West

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Jrue Holiday added 27 points with 13 assists as the visiting Milwaukee Bucks used a third-quarter burst to earn a 137-113 victory Sunday over the new-look Los Angeles Clippers.

Bobby Portis added 24 points with 11 rebounds as the Bucks won their second straight game to open a four-stop Western Conference road trip. An NBA Finals rematch against the Phoenix Suns looms Thursday.

Norman Powell scored 28 points in his Clippers debut and Marcus Morris Sr. added 20 as Los Angeles lost for the third time in its last five games. 

Robert Covington, who also was making his Clippers debut, added 13 points. Powell and Covington were acquired in a trade Friday from the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Clippers started fast, taking a 32-28 lead after one quarter. Both Powell and Covington made their team debut late in the first quarter and each hit the first shot they attempted, both 3-pointers.

The Bucks moved in front in the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 32-19 to take a 60-51 lead at the break. Antetokounmpo scored 17 points in the first half.

A 21-8 run to open the third quarter put Milwaukee in control. The Bucks took their first double-digit lead at 63-53 on a Khris Middleton 3-pointer less than two minutes into the second half. 

They led by 20 for the first time at 76-56 on a Pat Connaughton 3-pointer two minutes later.

The Clippers used an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull within single digits at 101-92 with 9:12 remaining before Milwaukee answered with a 9-2 run to take a 110-94 lead with 6:50 remaining.

Connaughton had 18 points for the Bucks, while Middleton added 17. Ivica Zubac, Reggie Jackson and Amir Coffey all had 10 points for Los Angeles.

After going 4-4 on a mammoth eight-game road trip, the Clippers split a pair of games at home and now head out on a three-game trip that starts Tuesday at Memphis.

-reuters-

NBA: Bucks dominate early in comfortable win vs. Pistons

Jrue Holiday slammed home a Giannis Antetokounmpo assist 16 seconds into the game to ignite a 14-0 flurry by the host Milwaukee Bucks, who never looked back in a 114-93 wire-to-wire victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 33 points, Bobby Portis recorded a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double and Holiday pitched in with 22 points for the Bucks, who completed a 5-0 homestand with their 12th consecutive win over the Pistons.

Trey Lyles had a team-high 19 points off the bench for Detroit, which was playing on the second night of a back-to-back and suffered its fourth straight defeat.

Antetokounmpo had a dunk, another interior hoop and three free throws, while Portis added a dunk and a 3-pointer in the game-opening run, which extended into the fourth minute of the game.

The Bucks went on to lead, 26-9, after a Holiday jumper at the 4:41 mark of the period, before the Pistons mounted a challenge.

Detroit rallied within six in the first quarter and got within three in the second, and was down just 71-65 after a Saddiq Bey 3-pointer near the midpoint of the third period before Milwaukee pulled away for good.

Holiday buried consecutive 3-pointers in a 10-2 burst that re-opened a double-digit advantage and led to a bench-heavy fourth quarter.

Antetokounmpo shot 12 for 17 while also finding time for seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Holiday led the Bucks with six assists.

Khris Middleton (11 points) and Pat Connaughton (11) also scored in double figures for the Bucks, who outshot the Pistons 48.3 percent to 35.8 percent overall and 41.7 percent to 24.4 percent on 3-pointers.

Jerami Grant and Bey backed Lyles with 13 points apiece and Saben Lee added 12 for Detroit, which was opening a five-game trip that also sends them to the West Coast.

Cade Cunningham had team highs in rebounds (eight) and assists (seven) to complement nine points for the Pistons.

-reuters-

NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks overpower Magic

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and a season-high 20 rebounds, Bobby Portis added a season-high 24 points with the help of six 3-pointers, and the host Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 117-108 on Saturday.

Antetokounmpo went 15-for-23 at the free-throw line, while Portis also had 15 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. The Bucks won their third game in a row for the first time this season.

Orlando put together a 30-8 fourth-quarter run, closing within 107-101 on R.J. Hampton's steal and layup with 2:05 left. But Antetokounmpo's dunk with one minute to go helped the Bucks get some breathing room, 111-101.

The Magic outscored Milwaukee 37-21 in the fourth quarter behind the play of their reserves, as Hampton scored 13 of his 19 points. He also finished with nine assists.

Milwaukee's three wins have come to start a five-game homestand, which continues with another matchup against Orlando on Monday night. The Bucks also completed a back-to-back sweep that included Friday's 96-89 win over Oklahoma City.

Orlando dropped a back-to-back set that began with Friday's 115-113 loss to the host Brooklyn Nets.

Cole Anthony, Orlando's leading scorer at 19.6 points per game, did not play Saturday due to a sprained right ankle after he had 16 points and nine assists against Brooklyn.

Milwaukee made 12 3-pointers in the first half and finished 19-for-40 (47.5 percent) from beyond the arc. Seven Bucks players made triples, paced by Portis' season-best 6-for-7 performance.

Grayson Allen scored 16 points, including making four treys. Khris Middleton added 13 points and eight assists, one night after becoming Milwaukee's all-time leader for made 3-pointers, and Jrue Holiday and Pat Connaughton each scored 11 points.

Jalen Suggs posted 14 points, six rebounds and four assists for Orlando, which finished 19-for-51 from 3-point range, and Chuma Okeke contributed 13 points off the bench on 6-for-11 shooting.

Connaughton and Allen each scored five points during a 13-0 run that gave the Bucks a 29-14 lead with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter. Milwaukee led by as many as 17 points early in the second quarter before Orlando narrowed the gap to 62-50 by halftime.

But the Bucks opened the second half with another 13-0 run, as Middleton hit a step-back jumper at the 8:05 mark for a 75-50 advantage.

The lead grew to 86-59 when Antetokounmpo spun into the lane and threw down a two-handed dunk. The Bucks outscored Orlando 34-21 in the third quarter for a 96-71 lead.

-reuters-

Bucks' Antetokounmpo named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after leading his team to a 4-2 series victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo, who was born and raised in Athens to Nigerian parents, joins Dirk Nowitzki (2011), Tony Parker (2007), Tim Duncan (2005 and 2003) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994 and 1995) as the only international players to be named NBA Finals MVP.

It was a remarkable NBA Finals debut for the 26-year-old Antetokounmpo, especially considering he missed the final two games of the previous series after suffering a gruesome-looking hyperextension of his left knee.

But Antetokounmpo managed to play in each game of the NBA Finals during which he averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists over six games.

Antetokounmpo saved his best for last as he recorded a playoff career-high 50 points in the championship-clinching game at home to go along with 14 rebounds and five blocks.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christian Schmollinger)

-reuters-

Bucks close out Suns for first NBA title in 50 years

The Milwaukee Bucks, powered by a masterpiece from Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, captured the franchise's first NBA championship in 50 years with a 105-98 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

With the victory, the Bucks clinched the NBA Finals 4-2 and became only the fifth team to win the best-of-seven championship series after losing the first two games.

Antetokounmpo was named most valuable player of the series after scoring a playoff career-high 50 points in the clinching game that will surely soothe the Bucks' recent history of postseason failure.

"I'm so blessed to work with Giannis every day," Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said during an on-court interview.

"He's a special human being, he's an even more amazing human being than he is a player. I've learned so much from him and his leadership."

Phoenix overcame a slow start to the game and led by as many as seven points early in the third quarter but could not contain Antetokounmpo down the stretch.

Suns guard Chris Paul had a team-high 26 points.

For Phoenix, who were seeking their first championship in the team's 53-year existence, the defeat marked the first time all season they have lost four consecutive games.

Unlike last year's NBA Finals when the celebratory screams of the Los Angeles Lakers echoed across an arena void of fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bucks' win kicked off a wild party for both a capacity crowd of 17,000 inside and the 65,000 supporters who attended a watch party outside the arena.

SHAKY START

Both teams got off to a shaky start that saw poor shooting on both ends of the court and plenty of turnovers but Milwaukee, powered by Antetokounmpo, led 29-16 after the first quarter.

Phoenix, facing elimination for the first time in the 2021 playoffs, shook off their lowest-scoring first quarter of the postseason as they turned up the defense while Chris Paul led the offense as the Suns took a 47-42 lead into the half.

The Suns opened up a seven-point lead early in the third quarter but the Bucks responded with a 16-6 run that put them back in front. From there the teams went back and forth and took a 77-77 tied into the final quarter.

But Milwaukee never trailed the rest of the way and it was Antetokounmpo who took over on the offensive end to deny the Suns' a chance to host a decisive seventh game. 

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Tom Hogue and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

-reuters-

Giannis hungers for NBA title with Bucks on the brink

MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo finds it harder to focus and stay in the moment with the Milwaukee Bucks on the verge of their first NBA title in 50 years.

The 26-year-old Greek star forward, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, can move beyond past playoff failures and win his first crown with a victory in Tuesday's sixth game of the NBA Finals at Milwaukee.

"It means a lot," Antetokounmpo said. "But I can't get too carried away. I have to stay in the present. I can't worry about the outcome.

"We know what the deal is. It's one game away from being an NBA champ, being in the history of this game, being always there. Nobody can take that away from you. It's going to be big."

The Bucks lead the best-of-seven showdown 3-2 and can win their first crown since 1971 before a noisy sellout crowd with 25,000 more people packing the "Deer District" and watching on screens outside the arena.

"It's going to be amazing to do it in front of our fans," Antetokounmpo said. "But there are more steps until we get there.

"We've got to focus. We've got to watch the clips and see what we did well, what we didn't do well, what can we do better.

"When the game starts, we have to take it a possession at a time and hopefully we can be in a position to win."

Milwaukee's Jrue Holiday said control during an emotional roller coaster is vital.

"We've really just got to lock in, not get too high, not get too low," Holiday said. "You've got to give it your all. At this point there's no excuses."

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the NBA's best record the previous two seasons only to see Milwaukee make disappointing playoff exits, dropping four in a row to Toronto in 2019 and losing to NBA runner-up Miami in 2020.

"What we've been through the last couple years, it has prepared us to be in this moment," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "It's just part of our journey and we've still got a ways to go."

Antetokounmpo stresses the work yet to come.

"We have to enjoy the moment," Antetokounmpo said. "But the job is not done. We have to realize that. We have got to stay in the present.

"We've got to stay humble. When this team is humble, this team is very, very dangerous."

Past playoff failures have taught the Bucks to be champions, Milwaukee's Pat Connaughton said.

"When adversity hit in the playoffs, we weren't able to really get through it," he said.

"Throughout these playoffs, when adversity has hit, we've come together even stronger. We've had each other's backs. That's what championship-caliber basketball is all about."

The Bucks could become only the fifth team to win the title after losing the first two games of the finals, joining the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, 2006 Miami Heat, 1977 Portland Trail Blazers and 1969 Boston Celtics.

The rare feat would put Antetokounmpo among some of the NBA's greatest legends, including LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and record 11-time champion Bill Russell.

"We don't stop," Antetokounmpo said. "Usually when you're down 0-2, you stop competing in a way. But this team, we don't do that. We keep coming, keep competing."

- Greatness in struggle -

The Suns, who dropped game five at home on Saturday, must win Tuesday to force a winner-take-all seventh game Thursday at Phoenix.

"Pressure is a privilege," Suns coach Monty Williams said. "As hard as it is, this is what you want. You're not going to find greatness on a beach. You're going to find it in the struggle."

The Suns chase the first title in their 53-year history.

"If you sulk about it, in the blink of an eye the season is going to be over," Phoenix forward Mikal Bridges said. "So, we'll learn from it. We know what we have to do. We're ready, man, just do or die."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Suns will 'build a wall' to stop Antetokounmpo, says Chris Paul

Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul said on Tuesday his team will try to "build a wall" in front of dominant Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in their bid to secure the franchise's first NBA championship.

Phoenix leads the best-of-seven NBA Finals 2-1. But the series appears far from over as Antetokounmpo has been nothing short of unstoppable since Milwaukee lost the opening game, and has proven to be too much for the Suns to contain.

Over the last two games the "Greek Freak," as he's been nicknamed, has become only the second player in history with back-to-back 40-point, 10-rebound games in the NBA Finals. That puts him in elite company with Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

"We're going to keep trying to build a wall," Paul said ahead of Wednesday's Game Four in Milwaukee.

"He's coming full speed every play, like a (NFL) running back coming downhill. Coach has a saying, we just say we try to get in his way. But he's able to do that because he's surrounded by some really good players too."

Antetokounmpo's interior dominance has breathed new life into an NBA Finals that initially appeared headed for a quick finish after Phoenix won the first two games of the series.

The two-times NBA Most Valuable Player's work in the paint has led some to compare him to Lakers great O'Neal.

"Regardless of how he scores, he does it. You know what I mean? He comes down there, he dunks, he dunks some more and he shoots a layup," said Paul.

"We have to try to figure out a way to slow him down... I don't care what the stat sheet looks like after the game. Win the game."

Antetokounmpo, who returned to action for the NBA Finals after missing two games of the Eastern Conference finals with a hyperextended left knee, has shown no ill effects of the injury and says he feels great.

While Milwaukee is raring to go, Antetokounmpo said the Bucks will enjoy a full two days off between Sunday's Game Three, which they won handily, and Wednesday's clash.

"It's good for us mentally and physically and for me also," said Antetokounmpo during a break in practice on Tuesday.

"I always like to have a little bit more time in between the games so I can get a little bit more rest and recover a little bit better and be able to go and play hard."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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NBA Finals: Statement home win as Giannis, Bucks dominate in Game 3

MILWAUKEE—Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 41 points with 13 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks claimed Game 3 of the NBA Finals in dominant fashion with a 120-100 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.

Coming home also appeared to bring Antetokounmpo sidekick Khris Middleton and point guard Jrue Holiday new life. Middleton had 15 first-half points and Holiday connected for four 3-pointers in an explosive third quarter as the Bucks pushed their 15-point halftime lead to 22.

Holiday had 21 points and Middleton added 18.

Phoenix fell behind in the second quarter and never recovered with top scorer Devin Booker unable to find his stroke in a 3-of-14 shooting night that shifts the momentum of the best-of-seven series.

Milwaukee ate in the paint, shredding the Suns' small-ball lineup as DeAndre Ayton sat idle due to foul trouble. The Bucks, who had 54 points in the paint in Game 2, matched that number in Game 3.

Threes started to fall for the Suns in the third after Phoenix missed 12 of 14 treys in the first half, but Booker never found a rhythm.

The Suns scored 118 points in each of the first two games to build a 2-0 series lead but shot 29 percent from deep in Game 3 thanks largely to Jae Crowder's 6-of-7 night.

Cam Johnson came off the bench to help keep Phoenix in the game in the third before Antetokounmpo completed a three-point play and found Pat Connaughton for a 3 to end the third. Johnson's emphatic, and-one poster dunk over P.J. Tucker had cut the lead to 10, and his reverse layup on the next possession made it an eight-point game just four minutes earlier. 

Booker did not play in the fourth quarter. Paul left the game for good with the Suns down 23 with 5:02 left in the game. He had a team-high 19 points and nine assists, scooting past Scottie Pippen on the all-time playoffs assist list.

The Bucks led 60-45 at halftime on the legs of a 21-7 run closing out the second quarter, largely with Ayton on the bench. He went back to the pine with 10:24 left in the third after his fourth foul.

Ayton started the game on fire with 16 points in the first 14 minutes but finished with 18.

He had 42 points and 12 rebounds in a Game 2 loss. 

Booker missed nine of his 11 shot attempts in the first half with the Bucks keeping bodies nearby.

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Bucks don't rule out Giannis Antetokounmpo return for NBA Finals

LOS ANGELES -- The Milwaukee Bucks are still hoping two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo could return from injury in time to boost their championship series bid against the Phoenix Suns.

The Greek star missed the last two games of the Bucks' Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Atlanta Hawks after hyperextending his left knee in game four.

With game one of the of the NBA Finals set for Tuesday, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo was "day-to-day" with the injury.

"You have to listen to the player and then you have to listen to the sports performance group, and at some point (Bucks general manager) Jon Horst and myself are part of the conversations, but it’s just a day-to-day thing," Budenholzer said after the Bucks beat the Hawks 118-107 in Atlanta on Saturday night for a 4-2 series victory.

"We'll update it when appropriate. The conversations between he and myself, it's kind of private and we'll see where he is each day."

Khris Middleton came up big in Antetokounmpo's absence, scoring 32 points in the series-clinching win that sent the Bucks to their first NBA Finals since 1974.

Budenholzer said he wouldn't expect any less from all the Bucks players if Antetokounmpo remains sidelined.

"If he's on the bench for whatever reason, we need to be able to play," said Budenholzer, who added that he was impressed with Antetokounmpo's enthusiasm and leadership from the sidelines during the final two games against Atlanta.

"I think he almost got a delay of game," he said of Antetokounmpo's enthusiastic in-game conversations with teammates during Saturday's game.

"To see that kind of leadership, that kind of connection and that kind of commitment from a player you know would be dying to be out there -- I just loved his energy on the bench."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Antetokounmpo (knee) out for Hawks-Bucks Game 5

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night due to a hyperextended left knee.

The series is tied at 2-2, with the winner of the best-of-seven series moving on to face the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.

The Bucks remained 2-point favorites at most sportsbooks even after the news of his Game 5 status.

Antetokounmpo sustained the injury during the third quarter of the Bucks' 110-88 loss in Game 4 on Tuesday.

The two-time league MVP was contesting an alley-oop attempt by Hawks center Clint Capela when he landed awkwardly and bent his knee. An MRI revealed no structural damage.

Antetokounmpo, 26, is averaging 26.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals in this series. He has shot 60.8 percent from the field.

The Bucks were 6-5 without Antetokounmpo in the lineup during the regular season, and 40-21 with him.

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NBA: Hawks pull level with Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo exits injured

Lou Williams contributed 21 points and eight assists while starting in place of injured star Trae Young to help the Atlanta Hawks post a 110-88 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday and tie the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.

Bogdan Bogdanovic made six 3-pointers while adding 20 points for the fifth-seeded Hawks, who never trailed and led by as many as 25 points.

While Young sat out Game 4 with a bone bruise in his right foot, the third-seeded Bucks lost their own star when two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextended his left knee in the third quarter and didn't return.

Antetokounmpo had 14 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes before exiting with 7:14 left in the third period.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Clint Capela added 15 points for the Hawks before leaving with 3:28 left in the fourth after taking an elbow to his nose from Milwaukee's Sam Merrill. Kevin Huerter also scored 15 points for Atlanta.

Jrue Holiday recorded 19 points and nine assists and Khris Middleton had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, who were a woeful 8 of 39 (20.5 percent) from 3-point range while shooting 39.3 percent overall.

Antetokounmpo was helped off the floor by his brother Thanasis after getting hurt.

Antetokounmpo got injured when he leaped to defend an alley-oop pass to Capela. Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee as he landed. He fell to the court in intense pain, grabbing the knee, and Capela fell on top of him after scoring the basket.

Young was injured in Game 3 on Sunday night when he inadvertently stepped on an official's foot.

Cam Reddish added 12 points and Danilo Gallinari tallied 10 for Atlanta, which shot 50 percent from the field and was 13 of 38 (34.2 percent) from behind the arc.

Capela's basket on the play in which Antetokounmpo was hurt ignited a 17-2 burst that saw the Hawks open up a 77-54 lead with 3:18 left in the third. Bogdanovic knocked down three 3-pointers during the run.

Reddish's 3-pointer with 29.7 seconds left elevated Atlanta's lead to 87-62 entering the fourth quarter.

Reddish and Huerter buried baskets 13 seconds apart in the final stanza to make it 104-80 with 4:20 left, prompting Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer to pull Holiday and Middleton and look toward Game 5.

Williams hit all four of his first-half field-goal attempts -- including one 3-pointer -- while scoring 13 points to help the Hawks hold a 51-38 halftime lead.

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NBA: Bucks bury Hawks, level East finals at 1-1

The host Milwaukee Bucks upped their intensity from the jump, leading wire-to-wire on Friday en route to knotting the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks at one win apiece.

Fresh off a convincing 125-91 victory, the Bucks look to maintain that spirited play when the best-of-seven series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Sunday.

"We came in focused on each possession at a time in Game 2, and we were able to do it together as a team," said Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, who collected 25 points and nine rebounds in three quarters before sitting out the fourth.

Jrue Holiday added 22 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the floor for the third-seeded Bucks.

Brook Lopez scored 16 points and Khris Middleton added 15 points and eight assists for Milwaukee, which effectively put the game on ice with a 20-0 run over a 4:18 span during the second quarter. 

The Bucks outscored Atlanta by a 43-17 margin in the second to claim a 77-45 lead at halftime.

Milwaukee shot 52.1 percent from the floor and took advantage of 20 turnovers by the fifth-seeded Hawks. The Bucks also made 15 of 41 attempts from 3-point range after sinking just 8 of 36 from beyond the arc Wednesday during a 116-113 loss in the series opener.

"We needed everybody to be more active," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. "The guys, they were great."

Atlanta's Trae Young finished with a team-high 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor, but he also was responsible for nine turnovers.

"That's all on me. I have to be better at taking care of the ball and just doing a better job of at least giving us a shot and not turning it over way too much," Young said. "I have to do better and will be better next game."

Danilo Gallinari scored 12 points off the bench, and John Collins and Cam Reddish collected 11 points apiece as the Hawks fell to 0-3 in Game 2s this postseason.

Atlanta interim coach Nate McMillan tried to put a positive spin on his team's standing after the first two games of this series.

"Anytime you can go .500 on the road, that's a good thing -- especially in the playoffs," McMillan said. "We had the opportunity to get two, we got one, so we're happy with that.

"But there's another level we have to get to in order to win games and advance. That intensity they came out with wasn't a surprise to us. They just totally dominated the entire game."

Young made his lone 3-pointer on seven first-half attempts to trim Milwaukee's lead to 51-40 with 6:25 remaining in the second quarter before the Bucks turned the game into a laugher. 

Holiday scored nine points and Lopez added seven as Milwaukee erupted for 20 straight points to claim a 71-40 lead with 2:07 to play.

Milwaukee's Pat Connaughton added his third 3-pointer in as many attempts to cap the scoring in the third quarter. Jordan Nwora's layup early in the fourth pushed the Bucks' lead to a game-high 41 points at 105-64.

"Just build off tonight," Connaughton said, when asked how to keep the momentum going.

"There are still things that we can still do a little bit better. We learned from our mistakes from Game 1, we carried over our gameplan to Game 2, and now we need to do the same thing to Game 3."

Antetokounmpo highlighted his nine-point performance in the first quarter with a scintillating spin move around Solomon Hill before converting a finger-roll layup. Milwaukee made 7 of 12 shots from 3-point range to claim a 34-28 lead after the first quarter.

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NBA: Hawks, 76ers set for Game 7; Bucks await in East finals

After a grueling 72-game marathon and nearly two rounds of the playoffs, it all comes down to a one-game sprint for the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.

The fifth-seeded Hawks visit the top-seeded 76ers on Sunday night in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference finals, where Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, fresh off beating the Brooklyn Nets in a series that also went the distance, await.

The 76ers staved off elimination with a hard-fought 104-99 win in Atlanta on Friday night. 

"It's fun. It's a lot of fun," said Seth Curry, who highlighted his 24-point performance by making six 3-pointers. "That's a great team over there. ... You've just got to weather the storm and come back at them at the other end." 

Joel Embiid collected 22 points and 13 rebounds while continuing to play through a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.

Embiid's frustration, however, was evident after he felt he wasn't receiving enough foul calls from the referees. Embiid and John Collins nearly ended up in a tussle behind the basket.

"I just want it called both ways," Embiid said. "If we are going to call something like nothing on their point guard (Trae Young), it should be the same way when they call the same thing on me if I get touched."

The Sixers last reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2001, when they ousted the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.

"The guys are ready to play," Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said.

The surprising Hawks dispatched the New York Knicks in five games in the opening round.

The Hawks won twice in New York in that round and have done the same in Philadelphia in this series.

"To be honest, I don't think any of that matters," said Young, who had 34 points and 12 assists on Friday. "It's one game. They came in and took care of business to force a Game 7. ... All the other games don't mean anything. Both teams are in win-or-go-home situations." 

The Hawks, who are already without De'Andre Hunter with a right knee injury, could also be without Bogdan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic left in the fourth quarter with right knee soreness and was sidelined for the rest of the game.

Coach Nate McMillan on Saturday said he was uncertain of Bogdanovic's status for Game 7, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Hawks likely will need Bogdanovic and others to shoot well from beyond the 3-point arc if they wish to advance. On Friday, the Hawks made only 10 from beyond the arc and missed 11 of 24 free-throw attempts.

"It feels like we haven't shot well really since Game 1," Atlanta's Kevin Huerter said. "We have to get that rhythm back. We made a couple late threes that put us in a one-possession game late in the fourth quarter. Obviously, we couldn't hit one in the big moments to close this thing out."

The Hawks made a franchise playoff-record 20 3-pointers in the series opener. In a deciding Game 7, the Hawks simply need to do just enough to win. 

"I think guys are getting a lot of good looks and good shots," Young said. "They're just not making them."

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NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks batter 76ers

Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists to lift the host Milwaukee Bucks to a convincing 132-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

Antetokounmpo moved into second place in franchise history in points scored (12,023) passing Glenn Robinson (12,010). Antetokounmpo trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (14,211) for top honors on the Bucks.

Bobby Portis added 17 points, Bryn Forbes and Jordan Nwora each had 13 and Jrue Holiday had 12 points and four steals. Pat Connaughton and Donte DiVincenzo contributed 11 points each for the Bucks (37-22).

The Sixers already were without Ben Simmons for a fourth straight game with an illness. Shortly before tip-off, the Sixers scratched fellow All-Star Joel Embiid with right shoulder soreness. Embiid has now missed 19 games this season.

Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 15 points apiece. Seth Curry added 13 points and Dwight Howard recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Sixers (39-21) have dropped four in a row after their largest defeat this season.

The Sixers missed 16 of their first 18 attempts from 3-point range but trailed by only four, 36-32, with 5:01 left in the second quarter.

Antetokounmpo scored the next two baskets, Portis had a tip-in and the Bucks' advantage quickly extended to 10.

The Bucks surged to an 50-40 halftime lead thanks in large part to 11 points and 12 rebounds from Antetokounmpo.

Milton paced the Sixers with 12 points off the bench.

Milwaukee used a 17-3 run in the third to pull ahead 72-57 with 5:27 remaining.

The short-handed Sixers appeared to tire with the depleted lineup playing heavy minutes. The Sixers trailed 86-63 at the end of the third.

The Bucks came out aggressive to open the fourth and moved out to a 94-67 lead with 9:30 left when Portis dropped in a 3-pointer from the corner.

Milwaukee led by 31 with 4:53 left and cruised to the win with a group of reserves finishing the game.

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NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo's huge night leads Bucks past Blazers

Giannis Antetokounmpo matched his season best of 47 points on splendid 18-of-21 shooting to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a convincing 127-109 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Antetokounmpo also collected 12 rebounds and three blocked shots while recording his third 40-point effort and 32nd double-double of the season. The Bucks defeated the Trail Blazers for the fifth straight time by an average of 23.6 points and have also won nine of the past 10 meetings.

Jrue Holiday added 22 points and 10 assists and Khris Middleton contributed 20 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals as Milwaukee improved to 2-1 on a six-game road trip.

Damian Lillard made five 3-pointers while scoring 32 points for Portland, which had its four-game winning streak snapped. CJ McCollum notched 18 points and seven assists, Robert Covington also had 18 points on six 3-pointers and Norman Powell had 12 points.

The Trail Blazers shot 36.4 percent and were 21 of 54 from 3-point range while falling for just the third time in the past 10 games.

The Bucks held a 58-24 edge in points in the paint while shooting 54.4 percent from the field, including 12 of 39 from behind the arc.

Lillard scored the first five points of the third quarter as the Trail Blazers pulled within 60-58 before the Bucks began to pull away and finished with a 37-20 edge in the stanza.

Brook Lopez buried a 3-pointer to give Milwaukee an 82-68 lead with 6:26 left. Nearly three minutes later, Holiday's basket made it 86-70.

Bryn Forbes drained a 3-pointer to push the Bucks' lead to 93-73 with 1:15 left. Donte DiVincenzo made two free throws and Holiday added a jumper as Milwaukee held a 97-73 advantage heading into the final stanza.

Portland moved within 110-97 on Powell's layup with 5:20 remaining in the contest. A short time later, Covington nailed his sixth 3-pointer to move the Trail Blazers within 12.

But Middleton made two free throws and Antetokounmpo converted a three-point play to make it 117-100 before Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer called timeout with 3:21 left to clear the bench. Jordan Nwora added a 3-pointer and Jeff Teague scored on a layup to push the lead to 22 as Milwaukee closed it out.

Antetokounmpo scored 24 points as the Bucks led by as many as 14 in the first half. But Covington and McCollum knocked down 3-pointers to end the half as Portland trailed 60-53.

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