Jrue Holiday drove the lane with a spin move and converted the go-ahead layup with 11.4 seconds left to lift the Milwaukee Bucks to an 86-83 win Thursday over the visiting Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Milwaukee cut its deficit in the best-of-seven set to 2-1.
Just over a minute earlier, Kevin Durant knocked down a 3-pointer to break an 80-80 tie and put the Nets ahead. Khris Middleton, who scored a game-high 35 points, responded with a layup to bring Milwaukee within a point with 1:17 to go.
Holiday spun past Bruce Brown on his way to the basket as time wound down. The Nets fouled Middleton in the final seconds, and he hit two free throws.
Durant’s off-balance, 29-foot 3-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the back rim and out.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points, joining Middleton as the only Bucks players in double digits in the low-scoring affair. Holiday finished with nine points, and Milwaukee shot 37.8 percent from the floor as a team, including 6 of 31 (19.4 percent) from 3-point range.
Middleton grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, and Antetokounmpo had 14.
The Nets’ shots weren’t falling, either, as they finished at 36.2 percent from the floor and 25 percent (8 of 32) from beyond the arc. Durant produced 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Kyrie Irving added 22 points for Brooklyn. Brown contributed 16 points and 11 boards.
Both teams’ benches were unable to get going, with Brooklyn’s outscoring Milwaukee’s 7-6.
The Nets again played without star guard James Harden, who is nursing a tight right hamstring.
Game 4 is set for Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee.
–Field Level Media