The script completely flipped in the second quarter, with the Nets heating up while the Bucks went cold from the floor.
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After dropping two games in Brooklyn, the Milwaukee Bucks put up a much better display on Thursday in Game 3, against the Nets. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton both had huge performances for Milwaukee as the duo combined for 68 total points. The Bucks were able to pull out a crucial 86-83 win over the Nets in Game 3. With the win, the Bucks avoided falling into a deep 3-0, as the series now sits at a 2-1.
The best plays from tonight’s Game 3 WIN!! pic.twitter.com/g0LTIBnwSw
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 11, 2021
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined for 55 points for the Nets but that wasn’t enough to get the job done. They didn’t get much help from the rest of the roster, aside from Bruce Brown, who had a good game.
We’ll bounce back. pic.twitter.com/g0APm3t01l
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) June 11, 2021
The odds are against the Bucks in this series. They lost the first two games to the Nets, and teams that fall behind 2-0 in a best-of-seven series are pretty much likely to lose.
Fortunately for the Bucks, they were ultimately able to pull out a win and avoid that unsurmountable 3-0 hole. At 2-1, the series is much more manageable, especially since two of the next three games will be in Milwaukee.
Giannis in Game 3:
33 PTS | 14 REB | 2 AST pic.twitter.com/ClefJSoGvF
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 11, 2021
Milwaukee’s All-Star duo of Middleton and Antetokounmpo had a more productive performance than Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving did for Brooklyn. Together, Antetokounmpo and Middleton combined for 68 points and 29 rebounds. Those 68 points were 79 percent of Milwaukee’s total point production. No duo in NBA playoff history has ever scored a higher percentage of their team’s total points.
Giannis:
— 33 PTS
— 14 REB
— in 43 MINSMiddleton:
— 35 PTS
— 15 REB
— in 44 MINSThey combined for 79% of the Bucks points tonight, the highest by any duo in NBA playoff history. pic.twitter.com/If8p6ViRpY
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 11, 2021
Joe Harris is one of the best shooters in the entire NBA, but you wouldn’t know it from watching Game 2.
Harris played 37 minutes in the game, and he made just one shot, despite attempting 11. That’s a shooting percentage of nine. He was unable to deliver for Brooklyn in Game 3. The good news for the Nets is that they only lost the game by three despite Harris’ struggles, and he’s unlikely to shoot that poorly again.
The Bucks ensure the series will go back to Brooklyn with the victory. Game 4 is Sunday in Milwaukee.
