Los Angeles (AFP)

The Phoenix Suns are the first franchise to advance to the NBA Conference Finals after their fourth win in four games on the Denver Nuggets floor on Sunday (125-118), while in the East, the clash between Milwaukee and Brooklyn is much more contested (2-2).

With this “sweep” (victory of a series in four matches), the franchise of Arizona finds the final of conference for the first time in 11 years.

For this second away game, she was once again able to count on their veteran point guard Chris Paul, author of 37 points and back Devin Booker, 34 points and 11 rebounds.

“A lot of people say I don't play + useful + basketball. Now is the time to prove it,” said Booker, 24, after the game.

Even NBA MVP (best player of the season), Nuggets hub Nikola Jokic, could only bow to the firepower of the Suns.

"They kicked our ass. We have to keep our heads up. If we are beaten, we have to accept it and try to come back better," admitted the Serbian giant.

Symbol of the frustration of his team, Jokic was sent off in the third quarter for a blow to the face in a game action on Cameron Payne and finished the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Beyond Paul and Booker, Phoenix once again relied on the strength of its collective, with 14 points for Mikal Bridges, 12 for Deandre Ayton or 10 rebounds for Jae Crowder.

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They will face the winner in the West Finals between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz, the latter leading the series 2-1.

- Antetokounmpo wears Milwaukee -

In the east, Milwaukee equalized at 2-2 against Brooklyn, thanks to a deserved victory (107-96), built in large part by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, as in the second leg at 2-1.

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The Bucks, after their two heavy initial defeats, in New York, have therefore raised the bar, each time by betting on their aggressiveness and by putting Kevin Durant, the best player of the Nets in the absence of James Harden still injured , under maximum pressure.

Halfway through the 3rd quarter, the Bucks had a 16-point lead (68-52) in the wake of a well-controlled second quarter (30-22), even if Giannis Antetokounmpo (34 pts, 12 rebounds) , 3 assists) was not very effective in his free throws (14/26 is barely more than 50% success).

Kevin Durant (28 pts, 13 rebounds) then sounded the alarm, putting the Nets to less than ten points, then Middleton (19 pts, 8 assists), with a monstrous shoot, concluded this 3rd period on the score 81-69 for the Bucks looking for a home equalizer.

At 7 minutes from the end, the gap dropped to 19 points (97-78) and it really became an impossible mission for the Nets.

Especially without Kyrie Irving left too early, because injured in an ankle, to weigh on this meeting.

Milwaukee finally held on for the second game in a row, and the Nets will have to start from scratch Tuesday night in Brooklyn.

They remain favorites for the title, but only on paper.

© 2021 AFP