(WNFL) – The Milwaukee Bucks face the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7 of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series tonight in Brooklyn.
The series is tied 3-3 with the winner advancing to face the winner of the Philadelphia/Atlanta series which is also tied 3-3.
The Bucks forced Game 7 on Thursday by beating the Nets 104-89.
Game 7s historically have gone to the home team. In the 140 NBA Game 7s, the home team has won 109 of them.
Milwaukee is 2-8 in Game 7s.
In the first six games of the series, the Nets are averaging 103.7 points per game while the Bucks are averaging 99.7.
The Bucks are shooting 44% on field goals and 68% on free throws.
The Nets are making 45% of their field goals and 80% of their free throws.
The game can be heard beginning at 7 p.m. tonight on 1440 and 101.9 WNFL.
Buck shots
• The Milwaukee Bucks forced a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Brooklyn Nets with a 104-89 win in Game 6 on Thursday night. The win improved the Bucks to 5-0 at home this postseason and 11-2 all-time at Fiserv Forum during the playoffs.
• This is the Bucks’ first Game 7 since the 2018 postseason when their First Round series against the Celtics went seven games and their first Conference Semifinals Game 7 since the
2001 postseason when they defeated the Hornets. A win in Game 7 on Saturday would put the Bucks into the Conference Finals for the second time in the last three seasons and for the
ninth time in franchise history.
• The Nets scored fewer than 100 points just four times during the regular season, yet the Bucks have held them under 100 points in three games this series after holding them to just 89
points in Game 6. Overall, Milwaukee has held its opponents to just 101.4 points per game this postseason, which is second-fewest among playoff teams.
• Khris Middleton scored a playoff-career-high 38 points (11-16 FG, 5-8 3FG, 11-12 FT) with 10 rebounds, five assists and a playoff-career-high-tying five steals in Game 6. He’s the first player in NBA history to record 35/10/5/5 with 5+ 3FGM in a playoff game with this being just the ninth time a Buck has tallied 35/10/5 in the postseason (K. Abdul-Jabbar, 6 times; G. Antetokounmpo, 2 times).
• Giannis Antetokounmpo has now put up at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in his last four games after scoring 30 points with 17 rebounds in Game 6. He’s the first player with four
consecutive 30/10 playoff games since Russell Westbrook had four straight in the 2017 playoffs and is one 30/10 game away from tying Abdul-Jabbar’s franchise record streak of five
consecutive 30/10 playoff games, which he did in the 1974 postseason.
Nets nuggets
Should the Nets win, it would give the Nets a 4-3 victory in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and vault the Nets into the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in franchise history (previously done in 2002-03 and 2001-02, with the Nets ultimately advancing to the NBA Finals in both seasons).
It would be the Nets’ seventh straight home win in this postseason run, which would be the longest playoff home win streak in the team’s NBA history.
The Nets (6-0) and Bucks (5-0) are the only undefeated teams at home in the playoffs.
The Nets’ active six-game home winning streak matches a franchise record, previously done from Game 2 of their first round series vs. Indiana on 4/22/02 through Game 1 of their EC Finals matchup with Boston on 5/19/02.
It would be the Nets’ second Game 7 victory in franchise history.
