NBA Playoffs: Top Moments from Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 6
The Eastern Conference finals have come to an end, and the Milwaukee Bucks have punched their ticket to the NBA Finals.
On Saturday, the Bucks closed out their series against the Atlanta Hawks with a 118-107 victory in Game 6 to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1974.
And Milwaukee did it without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remains out after he hyperextended his knee in a Game 4 loss, and with the return of Hawks' star Trae Young, who missed the previous two games of the series with a right foot bone bruise after accidentally stepping on an official's foot in Game 3.
The Bucks avoided a Game 7 and now move on to compete against Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns for the championship. That series begins on Tuesday in Phoenix.
And while the Hawks were unable to avoid elimination in Game 6, but they didn't go down without a fight.
Here are the top moments from Game 6:
Milwaukee Bucks 118, Atlanta Hawks 107 (Milwaukee wins 4-2)
Saturday's game got off to a rocky start. Right out of the gate, the first few minutes were riddled with turnovers and bad shots … and bad passes. But the Bucks were able to get into the swing of things first, attacking the paint early.
Once again, Jrue Holiday stepped up early for the Bucks in the absence of Antetokounmpo.
The veteran guard was on fire with eight of the Bucks' first 28 points.
Midway through the first frame, Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez – who also ended the first frame with eight points for the Bucks – connected on an alley-oop to extend Milwaukee's lead to 15-4.
For more up-to-date news on all things Bucks, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
Things got off to a slower start for Atlanta. Young made his first basket of the night on a driving layup that left him on the ground. He finished with three points before exiting the game with 3:42 left in the first.
It was Bogdan Bogdanovic who led the Hawks with seven points in the first.
For more up-to-date news on all things Hawks, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
The Bucks went on an 8-0 run as the minutes ticked down, ending the first period in the lead, 28-24.
In the second quarter, Jeff Teague sunk back-to-back 3-pointers for the Bucks, while Pat Connaughton slid right past the Hawks' defenders with his fancy footwork.
On the other side, Atlanta went 0-4 right out of the gate, which prompted the return of Young, who checked back into the game with 9:11 left to play in the second. Young finally got in on the action with the in-and-out dribble to score late in the second and keep the Bucks within arms reach.
However, the Hawks' star got his first technical foul of the night after exchanging words with the official – and it's safe to say he felt some type of way about it.
In the second frame, Young went 1-for-5 for a mere two points.
If only he had as much gas in the tank as Harry the Hawk …
In total in the first half, the Hawks shot 6-for-18 (33%) from the floor – including 2-for-10 from 3-point range and 2-for-7 from Young's passes alone.
At the half, the Bucks were up by four, 47-43. Holiday led the Bucks with 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Bogdanovic led all scorers with 11 points at the break.
Khris Middleton opened the third quarter applying more pressure on the Hawks. He put on a show, exploding for 16 points in just the first four minutes of the third.
And Antetokounmpo, who was watching intently from the sidelines, couldn't get enough of it.
After putting up just five points in the first half, Middleton racked up 23 points for the Bucks in the third quarter, and his scoring boost kept Milwaukee in a position of power with a double-digit lead, 91-72, heading into the final frame.
But in the fourth quarter, the Hawks didn't let off of the gas, going an 11-2 run to close the gap, 102-91.
And Cam Reddish gave Atlanta a much-needed surge of energy in the fourth, hitting two 3-pointers to continue to chip away at the Bucks' lead.
His six 3-pointers on the night are the most by a Hawks player off the bench in a playoff game in franchise history.
The Bucks had led by as many as 22 points, but Atlanta found themselves down by only eight as the final minutes approached. However, the Hawks weren't able to pull off the comeback, and Milwaukee secured its 12th win this postseason to advanced to its third Finals in franchise history.
Despite the loss, Young had incredible production in his first career playoff run, accounting for more points than any other player so far.
The third-seeded Bucks now face the Suns in Game 1 on Tuesday at Phoenix Suns Arena.
For more up-to-date news on all things NBA, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!