The gear Giannis Antetokounmpo was missing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
But it did not matter.
Brook Lopez stepped forward and was noted for 33 points and made a decisive effort as he led his team to a 123-112 victory over the Hawks in the fifth meeting of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
- It's exciting.
But of course it is not decided, says Lopez according to AP and continues:
- We have to do it again in two days.
Never lost the lead
The home team took the lead directly at Fiserv Forum in front of 16,389 spectators - and never lost it.
Even after a few minutes of play, the scoreboard showed 30-10.
In addition to Lopez, there were three other players who impressed at tonight's match.
Khris Middleton scored 26 points, Jrue holiday 25 and Bobby Portis was noted for 22.
- We did not want to take any risks.
We wanted to come out strong and strike first, says Bucks guard Jru Holiday after the match.
Bogdan Bogdanovic was the one who showed the front feet of his Hawks.
The Serb led the team with his 28 points - while teammates John Collins and DAnilo Gallinari were noted for 19 points each.
- They were more the more physical, aggressive team from start to finish tonight, says Hawks coach Nate McMillan.
The Bucks, who are ready for victory in the next meeting, have not reached the NBA final since 1974. The sixth match will be played on Sunday night.
CLIP: Phoenix Suns ready for NBA Finals (July 1)
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Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.
Photo: TT