NBA PLAYOFFS

Without Giannis, Bucks beat Hawks to advance to NBA Finals

Playing without injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the No.  3-seeded Milwaukee Bucks found way as they defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 118-107, to advance to 2021 NBA Finals.

Khris Middleton led the way with 32 points - including 23 in an explosive third quarter performance - while Jrue Holiday finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and four steals.

With the Game 6 win, the Bucks clinched the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series, 4-2. It will be the first time the Bucks franchise will make the finals since 1974.

They will face off against the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns, who defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 4-2, in the West finals.

The Bucks took over the game in the third quarter behind Middleton who scored all of the team's points in a blistering 16-4 run to start the second half. Middleton accounted for 16 points in a span of under four minutes.

That allowed them to take a 14-point lead, 63-47, which they were able to push up to 19, 91-72, by the end of the period behind Middleton, who scored seven more points in the third, and Holiday.

The Hawks came back in the fourth quarter thanks to a 12-2 run early in the period. Another 7-0 blast later on would allow them to get within six points, 107-101, after a dunk by Clint Capela.

But Holiday and Middleton both scored and they would get some more key baskets from Brook Lopez and PJ Tucker, who hit a three-pointer that made 116-106 with 1:02 remaining.

Four other Bucks finished in double figures in scoring led by Lopez and Pat Connaughton, who each scored 13 points. Bobby Portis, starting in the place of Antetokounmpo, added 12 while Jeff Teague came up with 11 points.

The Hawks were led by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 20 points.

Atlanta's injured star Trae Young played in Game 6, but struggled for most of the game. He finished with 14 points but shot 4-for-17 from the field and 0-for-6 from three. Young was listed as questionable leading up to today's game.

Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee's two-time MVP, suffered a knee injury in Game 4 and sat out the last two games of the series, both Bucks wins.

—JMB, GMA News