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The NBA is buzzing as Giannis and Kevin battle in Game 7
The final game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks had everyone firmly seated. Both teams gave it their all to win and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
As a result, the game became one of the most exciting matchups of the NBA playoffs’ seven-game series.
In the end, the Bucks astonished the Nets fans by winning Game 7 in overtime.
Despite Kevin Durant’s historic performance, the Bucks always found a way to win despite the Nets’ strong start.
Despite the loss, Kevin Durant’s performance had the entire NBA buzzing, while Giannis Antetokounmpo also astonished the Nets fans with his spectacular play.
They both set several records with their Saturday night performance.
In the first quarter, the Nets took the lead
The Bucks began the quarter with back-to-back three-pointers by Brook Lopez and PJ Tucker, resulting in a 6-0 run.
Durant then responded with a jumper and a three-pointer back-to-back.
With 7:48 left in the quarter, Joe Harris’ three-pointer gave the Nets a five-point advantage.
Giannis retaliated with a three-pointer and a layup.
They were 18-19 until Jrue Holiday hit a jumper to take the lead.
The Nets trimmed the advantage to one point when Kevin Durant threw the ball to Bruce Brown Jr for a layup.
With just over 2 minutes left in the first quarter, he immediately took a shot before falling down to give the Nets the lead.
Before the quarter ended 28-25, Khris Middleton hit a deep jumper to give the Nets the lead.
The Nets have maintained their lead
The Nets led the Bucks by six points about a minute into the game.
Blake Griffin made a three-pointer off an assist from James Harden.
Brown scored on Durant’s assist, trimming the lead to two points.
They were 36-33 when Durant blocked Middleton’s basket jumper.
On the next possession, Griffin tipped off Durant’s miss, and Pat Connaughton responded with a three-pointer off Giannis’ pass.
Harden scored on Griffin’s assist to give the Nets a five-point lead.
On the next possession, Durant added a three-pointer, and Lopez responded with a layup.
Following that, Durant missed a runner, and Harden scored after being blocked by Lopez.
With 29.4 seconds remaining, Jrue hit an alley-oop to Giannis for a one-handed slam.
As a result, the quarter finished 53-47, with the Nets leading by six points at the break.
In the third quarter, the Bucks mount a comeback
PJ Tucker hit a three-pointer, and the Bucks went on a 7-0 run to take a one-point lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Durant nailed a fadeaway jumper.
They were 57-55 after a steal by Middleton and a basket in transition by Lopez.
Durant then hit a three-pointer, giving the Nets a one-point edge.
While Giannis made a three-pointer, Tucker also made a three-pointer.
Harris responded with a three-pointer, and Griffin drove to the basket for a layup.
Brook Lopez hit a three-pointer to give the Bucks the lead at 67-68.
Following that, Giannis made a basket, extending the advantage to four points with 4:30 left in the quarter.
Harden hit a three-pointer, and Connaughton responded with a three-pointer of his own.
Middleton comes up with a putback on Jrue’s miss in transition after picking up Harden’s mistake pass.
As a result, with 47.5 seconds remaining in the quarter, the game was knotted at 79-79.
Jrue Holiday assists Giannis for a slam, and the Bucks take the lead.
The Bucks led 82-81 at the end of the quarter.
Durant is forced to play overtime in the fourth quarter
Harden took the lead on a hook shot to begin the fourth quarter.
With 9:25 left in the quarter, Giannis hit a mid-range jumper to tie the game at 86-86.
On the Nets’ following play, Harris hit a three-pointer and Durant hit a deep jumper.
Middleton immediately responded with a lengthy jumper.
They were 91-96 when Jrue hit a three-pointer with 5:22 left in the quarter.
Giannis made a layup to trim the lead to two points.
And Harden responded with a three-pointer that beat the shot clock.
Similarly, Giannis responded with a layup, tying the game 101-101 with 2:45 left in the quarter.
Jrue made a basket, knocking down a three-pointer. Durant responded with a fadeaway jumper.
Durant followed with a layup, trimming the lead to two points.
They were 109-105 when Durant hit a jumper to trim the advantage to two points.
He then hit a long jumper with only a few seconds left in the game to tie the game.
As a result, the score was 109-109.
As a result of the missed jumper, Durant forced the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Bucks took the lead
Brown made a layup to give the Nets the lead. Giannis responded with a hook shot.
And the game was knotted at 111-111 with just over a minute remaining.
Lopez made a huge rim-blocking block on Durant.
Middleton then hit a jumper with 40.1 seconds remaining in the game.
Durant was unable to hit a three-pointer, and as a result, the Bucks won the game.
Giannis and Durant delivered an outstanding performance
The fight between the top teams concluded in thrilling fashion, with both sides giving their best for the win until the last whistle.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant both delivered outstanding performances during the seven-game series.
Both of them scored 40 points per game to lead their respective teams.
They became the first opposing team to score 40 points or more since 2008.
In reality, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant joined LeBron James and Paul Pierce in 2008 as the third pair of rival players to score 40+ points in a Game 7, joining Sam Jones and Oscar Robertson in 1963.
Their rivalry kept the Nets and Bucks on their toes throughout the regular season, providing the NBA with one of the finest playoff contests of the season.
“That was like the longest game ever,” remarked P.J. Tucker. “We appeared to be playing for hours. “Like a boxing battle that was never going to stop.”
“It’s been a heck of a series,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.
“You poured so much heart, energy, and time into it.”
So to be rewarded with a major win in overtime in a Game 7… you just feel good for the group, feel wonderful for the players.”
Some of the game’s reactions.
Today, the NBA was buzzing with an appreciation for their performance.
Giannis guided the Bucks to victory
For the triumph, the former MVP had a double-double of 40 points and 13 rebounds, as well as 5 assists.
As a result, he joins Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Charles Barkley, and Tim Duncan as the fifth player in NBA history to post 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in a Game 7.
“We understood going into this series that we needed to do it as a team, and that’s what we did,” Giannis said.
We maintained our cool throughout the entire series.”
He had a lot of help from his teammates, especially Khris Middleton, who came up with the game-winning tiebreaker in the dying minutes.
Middleton finished the game with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and five steals.
He is the only player since 1973-74 to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals in back-to-back postseason games.
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Durant’s performance demonstrated that he remains one of the finest players in the NBA
After Durant’s basket in the final seconds of the fourth quarter knotted the game and forced overtime, the struggle between two top teams grew even more exciting.
Kevin Durant produced one of the best postseason performances in NBA history.
That wasn’t enough to win the game, but it was enough to get the NBA buzzing and show everyone that he’s one of the best.
He finished the game with 48 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists while playing every minute.
Kevin Durant’s 48 points are the most in an NBA Game 7 in history.
“He’s still the best player in the world,” Giannis remarked of Kevin Durant.
With the victory, the Bucks move to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will face either the Philadelphia 76ers or the Atlanta Hawks.
