The second round of the playoffs began with the Eastern Conference semi-finals between Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets lined up a victory in Game 1 despite losing out James Harden due to injury early on.
NBA Playoffs Second Round
Nets 115-107 Bucks
The highly-anticipated clash which was also played out during the fag end of the regular season, saw the Bucks take a slender lead in the first quarter.
Moreover, 46 seconds into the high-octane game, James Harden suffered a hamstring injury and had to leave the court. The former Houston Rockets player did not return back into the game.
The Nets clawed back to restore parity by halftime, but turned the game with an explosive third quarter. The number two seed outscored the Bucks by 12 points to leave them chasing the game in the final quarter.
In the absence of James Harden, the likes Joe Harris and Blake Griffin stepped up for the win. Harris notched 19 points while Griffin contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds at the Barclays Center.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving shared the scoring responsibilities after a combined 54-point effort from the duo.
While they were immensely prolific in scoring threes during the sweep against the Heat, the Bucks struggled in that department on the night. They only scored 6/30, resulting in a 20% shooting while the Nets boasted 37.5% for the same. The Nets were also prolific from their free throws compared to the Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo top-scored in the contest by registering 34 points, and also led his side in rebounds with 11 to his name. The reigning MVP noted how the game was similar to the first matchup between the Bucks and the Heat in the first round.
“Now, you’re playing a team that’s way better offensively, and they made a lot of shots. So, obviously, we’ve just got to come out in Game 2 and do a better job.” Giannis said
“I mean, it’s never easy to lose anybody, especially this time of the year where we just wanna have fun playing basketball and playing the right way and competing at a high level,” said Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving.
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