NBA Playoffs: The Bucks rolled into Atlanta to beat the Hawks and head into the NBA Finals!

Atlanta, Georgia - The Milwaukee Bucks are heading to the NBA Finals, after taking care of the Atlanta Hawks in six games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Bucks forward Khris Middleton scored a game-high 32 points as Milwaukee beat Atlanta on their way to the NBA Finals.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton scored a game-high 32 points as Milwaukee beat Atlanta on their way to the NBA Finals.  © IMAGO / Icon SMI

The Bucks took charge to beat the Hawks on Saturday night 118-107 and clinch their spot in the NBA Finals. Milwaukee will now play against the Phoenix Suns for the 2021 NBA title.

Khris Middleton (29) put his team on his back to lead the Bucks to an impressive close-out victory, while Milwaukee’s other star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out yet again, bothered by his knee injury suffered two games ago. Middleton scored 32 points, with many of those baskets scored during the third quarter to help the Bucks pull away with the win.

"My teammates and my coaches, they told me to keep being aggressive," Middleton said to ESPN during his postgame press conference.

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Atlanta’s superstar player, Trae Young, did return to action from a sprained ankle suffered in Game 4, but had trouble scoring with a dismal 4-17 shooting from the field. He finished with only 14 points in the game. As a whole, the first half saw both teams shooting poorly, especially from long-range as both squads came together for eight total threes, but still, the Bucks held on to the lead going into the half.

Jrue Holiday also stepped up for the Bucks with 27 points and nine rebounds. Surprisingly, Cam Reddish, a small forward off the bench who hasn’t seen much playoff action this year, led Atlanta with 21 points.

The game was all Milwaukee’s to win, never trailing or tied with the Hawks since tip-off when neither team had scored a single point.

The NBA Finals will feature two of the league’s best teams

The Bucks have the chance for their first NBA title since their only championship win exactly 50 years ago, while the Suns are playing for their franchise’s first.

This might be more of a must-win series for Phoenix, as their leader, Chris Paul, is 36 years old and will be appearing in his first-ever NBA Finals. He could be considering retirement in the near future.

But two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to finally get over the hump of leading a team to the NBA’s ultimate prize, despite being such a successful player.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Bucks and the Suns is on Tuesday, from Phoenix.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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