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It was an all-or-nothing game for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Brooklyn Nets for a chance to force a Game 7 in the 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Bucks responded to the pressure with an excellent performance. They took advantage of their bright start and never gave up the lead, winning the game 104-89 at the Fiserv Forum.
James Harden was unable to take off in transition as he adopted a self-preservation technique to avoid aggravating his hamstring injury. Regardless, he remained an elite distributor and contributed three 3-pointers to record 16 points for the night.
Steve Nash hung his boots with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant and James Harden were withdrawn for the night after his team went behind by 18 points.
Fatigue caught up with Durant, who played every minute of Game 5 for the Brooklyn Nets. Although he registered 32 points with a field goal percentage of .500, he was not as explosive in the 40 minutes he spent on court.
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The Milwaukee Bucks will take one last road trip this series to guarantee their Eastern Conference Finals berth. The Brooklyn Nets will look to continue their perfect home performance in the Semifinals so far to overcome the Bucks.
Here's our look at five reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks edged out the Brooklyn Nets to tie the series 3-3.
#5 Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated the paint
Giannis Antetokounmpo took the Nets' bait in Game 5 and attempted a lot of 3's, despite not being a renowned great 3-point shooter. The Brooklyn Nets were comfortable with him taking those shots, which resulted in a 1-of-5 stat line from beyond the arc.
The Greek Freak learned from his mistakes and did not attempt even one 3-point shot in Game 6. His aggressive drive to the rim was a key factor in the Milwaukee Bucks' emphatic win. Despite not being the leading scorer in this match, he registered 30 points, 17 rebounds and three assists.
#4 The Milwaukee Bucks grabbed more boards than the Brooklyn Nets
Rebounding can be a deciding factor, especially in the NBA playoffs where every possession counts. The Milwaukee Bucks outrebounded the Nets on both ends of the court. The latter looked uninterested for the better part of the game and did not put up much of a fight at grabbing the board.
The Brooklyn Nets had 39 total rebounds while the Milwaukee Bucks ended the game with 51. It was more of the same on the offensive end as the Bucks had 15 offensive rebounds, with the Nets ending the game with nine.
#3 The Milwaukee Bucks' defense was impressive
It was an all-around defensive masterclass as the Milwaukee Bucks were clinical in defense against the offensive-minded Brooklyn Nets. Every player knew their role and stayed effective even on the switch.
PJ Tucker and Jrue Holiday were particularly excellent and deserve a special mention for their efforts on the defensive end.
The intensity at the start of the game forced four early turnovers in the first quarter. The pressure on Durant forced him to lose the ball seven times while Harden cost the Brooklyn Nets four turnovers, bringing the team's total tally to 16. The Milwaukee Bucks also recorded 12 steals and six blocks in the game.
The defense held the Brooklyn Nets to only 89 points, which is their second-lowest in the 2021 NBA playoffs so far. Every time the Nets have scored below 100 against the Milwaukee Bucks, they have lost the game and the streak never looked like ending in this game.
#2 The Milwaukee Bucks had more fastbreak points that the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are known for their pace and ability to convert in transition. But that was a complete miss for the Nets as Harden could not risk getting up and down the court as quickly as required.
The Milwaukee Bucks ran the ball as often as possible, taking advantage of Harden's predicament. This meant the Nets repeatedly did not have enough time to set up on defense.
The game ended with a huge disparity in fastbreak points. The Milwaukee Bucks had 25 points off fastbreaks while the Brooklyn Nets could muster only four points in transition.
#1 Khris Middleton made the difference for the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6
Every time the Brooklyn Nets came within five points, Khris Middleton cranked up the heat to extend the lead. He converted two four-point plays and was fouled beyond the arc on several other 3-point attempts.
The 3-point game was a significant factor as he was 5-of-8 from deep, two of which were 4-point plays. Khris had an efficient shooting night, going 11-of-16 from the field (68.8%). He was also red-hot from the free-throw line as he converted 11 of his 12 attempts.
Khris registered 38 points overall, a playoff career-high. He also recorded ten rebounds, five assists and five steals. So far, he has been exceptional at home but with the pivotal Game 7 at the Barclays Center, Middleton needs to find a way to deliver on hostile territory.
