Basketball – There will be Game 7 between Brooklyn and Milwaukee

Milwaukee, worn by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, authors of 68 combined points, mastered Brooklyn from start to finish (104-89), Thursday in the play-off of the NBA championship, and a seventh decisive game awaits the two teams on Saturday to reach the Eastern Conference final.

This time, Kevin Durant did not work a miracle. Two days after his exceptional recital (49 points) which allowed the Nets to snatch Game 5 (114-108) after being led by 17 units, the star winger still managed to plant 32 points. But the Bucks made sure to maintain their dominance until the end.

They started the game strong, leading 18-5 after the first five minutes and never really faltered the rest of the time. If not perhaps at the start of the 4th quarter, when, precisely, after a basket behind the arc of “KD”, Brooklyn returned to five lengths (82-77).

Middleton continued to be clinical in attack (38 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals) and Antetokounmpo was the author of an offensive rebound captured in the middle of the Nets, punctuated by a raging dunk that sealed the match (96-77) even before the usually fateful five minutes.

The “Greek Freak” finished with 30 points and 17 rebounds, while full-back Jrue Holiday was an important third man (21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals).

“We had to play hard and we did it. When they managed a series of baskets in the 4th quarter, we knew how to keep our cool and we were able to respond. We know it will be even harder, more intense on Saturday, ”said Middleton.

Nets side, he lacked the offensive spring behind Durant (11 rebounds) who, unusually, committed seven losses of balls. Proof of the lack of binder of the team of Steve Nash, who lamented “a lack of rhythm and an attacking strategy that could not be applied.”

It will really take a collective reaction at Barclays Center on Saturday, where Kyrie Irving is not guaranteed to be fully recovered from an ankle problem.

Because the Middleton and Antetokounmpo Bucks seem determined to write their history, 50 years after those of Lew Alcindor (future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Oscar Robertson, major contributors to the only title won by the Wisconsin franchise.