Milwaukee---khris Middleton and the Milwaukee Bucks refused to turn under pressure and did not allow Kevin Durant to make another remarkable comeback to end their second-round playoff series.
Middleton made a career playoff high with 38 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 30 and the Milwaukee Bucks never left behind to force a decisive seventh game in a 104-89 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
Game 7 will take place in Brooklyn on Saturday night. The home team has won each of the first six matches of this series.
Middleton said, 'We don't think about any kind of pressure. "It's a basketball game. It's as simple as that. I know it's lose-lose-home, but at the same time, it's just basketball. You have to have fun with it. Those moments are fun, you know, When the game is on the line."
Milwaukee bounced back in two nights after taking a 17-point lead in a 114–108 Game 5 loss to Brooklyn, which included an epic 49-point, 17-rebound, 10-assist performance from Durant.
The Bucks shot only 7 of 33 from 3-point range, but made up for it by outscoring the nets 26-4 in the 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 coming back in transition."
Durant was sometimes on the verge of leading the Nets once again on Thursday.
He scored 10 straight net points over the course of a third-quarter as Brooklyn narrowed his 14-point deficit to five. He scored 10-0 at the start of the fourth quarter, reducing the margin to five again.
Each time, Middleton responded by making a basket or going over the free-throw line.
"You know in those moments, he's going to make the perfect game," Antetokounmpo said. "We know that when he feels good, we have to give him the ball."
Middleton shot 11 of 16 off the floor and 11 of 12 free-throw attempts and had 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Antetokounmpo shot 12 out of 20 and had 17 revolts. 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 like he was less than full strength in his second game since returning from a hamstring injury.
Harden left Game 1 in the opening minute with a right hamstring tightness and was back in Game 5, but scored 1 for 10 and scored just five points.
"I'm ready to do whatever it takes to win there," Harden said. "I have to be better on both ends of the ball, which I will do in Game 7.
The Bucks had a 14-point lead at the start of the second half, before Durant again made a comeback in the third quarter.
Brooklyn cut Milwaukee's lead to 72-67, with 1:27 left in the third when Harden made two free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot. Middleton restored Milwaukee's double-digit advantage by scoring the last six points of the third quarter, including a putback on the buzzer.
Milwaukee extended the lead to 15 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Brooklyn bounced back with 10 straight points as Joe Harris' 3-pointer made it 82–77 with 8:41 remaining. Middleton responded again, shooting a 3-pointer and making all three free throws, drawing a foul on Harris.
"He's a shot maker," Durant said. "You see the shot go through the basket, you get more confidence. He made timely shots for them."
Middleton's free throw started the run 14–0 which included seven points for Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP halted the surge by converting an offensive rebound into a dunk with 6:24 remaining.
That dunk pretty much guaranteed that these teams would meet again on Saturday. Both teams removed their starters with more than 4 1/2 minutes to spare. As the Bucks and Nets went into their respective locker rooms after the final buzzer, an enthusiastic Fisher Forum crowd celebrated while the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" was played over the loudspeakers.
"As I've said all year, we're made for the moment, simple like that," Antetokounmpo said. "Nobody says it's going to be easy. It may be hard. But we are capable of doing it."
Tip-ins
Nets: The Nets used their 41st different starting lineups of the season (Durant, Harden, Harris, Blake Griffin and Jeff Greene). They have used four different starting lineups in 11 playoff games. ... Durant is one of only two players to have scored at least 30 points against the Bucks at least seven times in a season (regular season and playoffs combined). Michael Jordan had seven games against Milwaukee in 1989–90 with at least 30 points.
Bucks: Middleton was 5 for 8 from 3-point range. His teammates were 2 out of 25. ... The Bucks are 5–0 against the Nets at home this season and own a 5–0 home playoff record overall. They are an all-time 12-2 in playoff games at the Fiserv Forum. ... Antetokounmpo has 10 straight playoff double-doubles and four consecutive playoff games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.