Khris Middleton and the Milwaukee Bucks have stood firm, refusing to allow Kevin Durant to produce one more remarkable comeback that could have ended their NBA second-round playoff series.
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Middleton set a career playoff high with 38 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 30 and the Bucks never trailed in a 104-89 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night to force a decisive seventh game.
Game 7 will be Saturday night in Brooklyn. The home team has won each of the first six games in this series.
"We don't think about any type of pressure at all," Middleton said. "It's a basketball game. It's as simple as that. I know it's lose-or-go-home, but at the same time, it's just basketball. You've got to have fun with it. Those moments are fun, you know, when the game's on the line."
Milwaukee bounced back two nights after blowing a 17-point lead in a 114-108 Game 5 loss at Brooklyn that featured an epic 49-point, 17-rebound, 10-assist performance from Durant.
The Bucks shot just 7 of 33 from 3-point range but made up for it by outscoring the Nets 26-4 in fast-break points.
"It definitely hurt us," Nets coach Steve Nash said of the fast-break points. "That's where they're really strong. I thought we had some problems getting back in transition. "
Durant occasionally seemed on the verge of leading the Nets back once again on Thursday.
He scored 10 straight Nets points during one third-quarter stretch as Brooklyn narrowed a 14-point deficit to five. He sparked a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter that got the margin down to five again.
Each time, Middleton responded by making a basket or getting to the free-throw line.
"You know in those moments, he's going to make the right play," Antetokounmpo said. "We know that when he feels good, we've got to give him the ball."
Middleton shot 11 of 16 from the floor and 11 of 12 on free-throw attempts and had 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Antetokounmpo shot 12 of 20 and had 17 rebounds. Jrue Holiday added 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Durant had 32 points and 11 rebounds. James Harden added 16 points for Brooklyn but still looked as though he was at far less than full strength in his second game since returning from a hamstring injury.
Harden had left Game 1 in the opening minute with right hamstring tightness and returned in Game 5 but shot 1 of 10 and scored just five points.
"I'm out there to do whatever it takes to win," Harden said. "I've got to be better on both ends of the ball, which I will be in Game 7."
Australian Associated Press
