The Milwaukee Bucks are touching a return to the NBA Finals forty-seven years after their last appearance at this level in the wake of legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. The Wisconsin team only needs a success, Saturday in Atlanta or Monday at home, to join Phoenix, qualified after eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers (4-2).
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Thursday’s Game 5 was the first in the Eastern Conference final to be played without the two stars of the two franchises, Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee) and Trae Young (right foot). Milwaukee managed this hard blow better, compensating for the absence of its leader with a collective and clean game (28 assists and 8 stray balls). « Jrue (Holiday) placed us very well, distributed the balls to us while organizing the game, our positions ”, appreciated winger Khris Middelton.
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“When one of the best players in the world isn’t available, you know it’s up to us as teammates to raise our level and compensate as much as possible”, summarized Bobby Portis, who took full advantage of his first start in the play-offs with 22 points. Which only made him the fourth scorer for the Bucks behind Brook Lopez (33 points), Middleton (26) and Holiday (25).
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These four “Are simply intelligent and know how to play together”, explained the coach Mike Budenholzer, who had insisted on the need to be more aggressive from the start in order to avoid the failed starts of rounds 3 and 4. Instructions received five out of five with a gap of twenty points in favor of Milwaukee from the first quarter (30-20, 10th), which Atlanta has never recovered from.
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“Milwaukee is a city that has been through a lot. A city of blue collar workers that likes tough players. “
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At best, the Hawks came back to two possessions just after half-time (65-59, 25th) thanks to the Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic (28 points). But the gap quickly rose to +14 (77-63, 29th) with intense activity from Portis and Lopez in the racket. “I believe this audience likes those who are willing to work as hard as me, Portis prided himself. It’s a city that has been through a lot. A city of blue collar workers that likes tough players. ” And great successes.
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