Recap

Tom Dowd

The championship chase came to a close for the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night in a 115-111 Game 7 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center.

Kevin Durant’s stunning game-tying shot at the end of regulation gave Brooklyn one more chance in a series in which the Nets had battled through to a seventh game despite losing Kyrie Irving to an ankle sprain in Game 4 and missing James Harden for all but a minute of the first four games before returning to battle through the final three on a strained hamstring.

Both Harden and Durant played all 53 minutes and Bruce Brown played 52 as the Nets pushed their season to the limit, but after Brown’s rebound basket to start the overtime, they went scoreless the rest of the way as the Bucks held them off to bring an end to a season in which Brooklyn navigated one test after another in the winningest regular season in franchise history.

“I just told them how proud I am of them,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “Just an unbelievable effort. Gave us everything they had. So much adversity this year. First year together. So many changes to the roster and so many injuries, COVID protocols. They couldn't have given us anything more. They couldn't have given us...to take that team without Ky and James on one leg out there doing anything he can to help his teammates it's just...you go down the line what (Blake Griffin) gave us, Kevin's just, I don't know what more Kevin could do it's just out of this world. And you can say this for all our guys at a different part of the season gave us something. Just really, really proud of the group and I hurt for them more than anything.”

The final game of the year was an epic, highlighted by another historic performance from Durant, whose 48 points were the most ever in an NBA playoff Game 7. They went shot-for-shot with Milwaukee through the second half in a game with 20 lead changes and 10 ties.

Up by five with four minutes to go in regulation, the Nets found themselves trailing 109-107 in the final minute. Inbounding with six seconds to go, Jeff Green got the ball to Durant, who found the room to launch a game-tying 23-foot 2-pointer right at the 3-point arc with a second remaining. They couldn’t find the same magic in overtime.

“We had some fatigue for sure, but we also missed a couple looks,” said Nash. “We missed a couple open looks and didn’t make some really difficult ones. They made theirs. There’s nothing in it. It’s a two-point game and you miss one or two shots and obviously it hurts. But it was really well-contested by both sides. It was a war down the stretch and in overtime, very difficult to find baskets. We just couldn’t get it done. At that point in the game, guys were fatigued. Seven games plus an overtime. It’s a flip of the coin.”

Two games after a historic 49-point triple-double in Game 5, Durant again delivered a performance to remember. He shot 17-for-36 with nine rebounds and six assists, setting a franchise record for points in a postseason with 411 in 12 games. In the franchise’s history, three Nets had put up a 40-point playoff game. Durant did it three times in this season’s playoffs. He also became the first player in Nets NBA history with three consecutive 30-point games and set a franchise record with eight 30-point games in this year’s postseason.

“Simply amazing,” said Jeff Green. “He put us on his back for multiple games now, led us. Led us. Gave us great hope. Gave us all he had. He did everything possible to keep us right there. Couldn’t ask for more. That’s about it man. That guy’s special. On and off the court. That’s my brother for life. I’m glad I had a chance to go out there and fight with him on that court and battle with him. I hate the way it ended. I loved watching him again go to work.”

Harden, who played at least 40 minutes all three games after his return, scored 22 points with nine assists and nine rebounds. Blake Griffin had his second double-double of the series with 17 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7-for-12 overall and 3-for-6 from 3-point range. Brown scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Joe Harris had 10.

Brooklyn jumped into an early lead with an 11-0 run capped by a Harris 3-pointer. After the Bucks jumped back on top with a 23-20 lead, the Nets closed the quarter on an 8-2 run split between Brown and Durant, with Durant’s jumper giving the Nets a 28-25 lead going into the second quarter.

Durant and Griffin opened the second quarter with 3-pointers to push the Brooklyn lead to nine points. With the Bucks back within 40-38, the Nets scored six straight capped by a Durant 3-pointer. That was the start of an 11-3 run, with Harden’s three-point play putting the Nets up by 10 on the way to leading by 53-47 at halftime.

The Bucks scored the first seven points of the third quarter to go up 54-53, the first of 11 lead changes in the quarter. Trailing 72-68, the Nets launched an 11-2 run with a Harden 3-pointer followed by two Durant free throws. Giannis Antetokounmpo put Milwaukee back up 74-73 and the Nets answered with six straight — Griffin scoring off the roll with Harden, then two free throws each from Harden and Durant for a 79-74 lead. Milwaukee answered with eight straight before Durant’s drive closed the quarter with the Bucks leading 82-81.

Tied at 86 early in the fourth quarter, the Nets broke out to a 96-91 lead after Durant’s three-point play with 5:39 remaining. They were still up five with four minutes to go after Harden banked in a shot-clock beating 3-pointer to make it 101-96.

After Milwaukee’s 13-4 run gave the Bucks a 109-105 lead with a minute to go, Durant’s baseline pull-up got the Nets back within two with 42.4 remaining. Brooklyn forced a shot clock violation to get the ball back with six seconds left, and Durant sent it to overtime with a shot that was just inches from being a game-winning 3-pointer.

“They know they could have won the series,” said Nash. “They also do realize deep down that they gave it everything they had. It’s not total…It hurts. It hurts bad. It hurts all of us. I hurt so much for these guys. But they also realize they gave it everything they had.”

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Bucks 115, Nets 111: Brooklyn's Season Ends in Game 7 Overtime Thriller

The Eastern Conference semifinals are headed back to Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Nets will host the Milwaukee Bucks in a decisive Game 7 on Sunday after the Nets dropped Game 6 in Milwaukee on Thursday night, 104-89.

The Nets spent the night chasing their way out of an early deficit after quickly falling behind by 13 points and never quite got there. The last push — a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter — got them within 82-77 with just under nine minutes to go, but the Bucks reeled off 14 straight points to stretch their lead to 19 points midway through the quarter.

“We were down four a couple times and they pushed it, I mean they responded after every run we made and we got to give them credit for that,” said Kevin Durant. “I think we were down early, we got ourselves back in the game we were down like 12, 15 and we got back it was 82-77, we fouled a 3-point shooter and that's when they kind of took control. So I felt like we were right there we just couldn't get over the hump.

Durant led the Nets with 32 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double in six games in the series. James Harden had 16 points and seven assists and Blake Griffin scored 12 points with six rebounds.

Brooklyn quickly fell behind 18-5 before getting going offensively. It started with Durant working out of the post, first facing up into a jumper then spinning for a dunk. Griffin’s 3-pointer quickly had the Nets back within six and they went into the second quarter trailing 26-19.

Trailing 44-31, the Nets put together a 9-0 run starting with Griffin’s inside score, a Harden runner and 3-pointer, and then Griffin again with steal at midcourt for a layup that made it a 44-40 game. The Nets were down 53-48 before Khris Middleton closed the half with two 3-pointers to put the Bucks up by 59-48 at halftime. After starting the game shooting 2-for-9 and 1-for-6 from 3-point range, the Nets shot 50 percent both overall and from 3-point range over the final 18 minutes of the half.

Down 13 midway through the third quarter, the Nets cut the Milwaukee lead to five after Durant scored 10 straight Brooklyn points, with Harden then making 2-of-3 from the line to make it a 72-67 game. But the Bucks scored the final six points of the quarter to go into the fourth leading 78-67.

Milwaukee extended that into a 10-0 run and an 82-67 lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, but the Nets answered with a 10-0 run of their own — first Durant with a 3-pointer and a transition layup, then Joe Harris with a drive and a 3-pointer to make it 82-77 with 8:41 remaining.

That was as close as the Nets would get. Milwaukee responded with a 14-0 run to take a 96-77 lead with 6:26 to go in the game.

“We weren’t well tonight offensively,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “Out of rhythm, out of sync. We definitely didn’t play the way we wanted to play, the way we planned to play, and I would say that for the entire game. We had a couple stretches where we played okay, but we really didn’t play the way we wanted to play offensively. Defensively, we weren’t great either, but not a disaster. Just not a great game from us, we just didn’t have our best stuff tonight. And we’ve got a Game 7 on our home floor.”

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Bucks 104, Nets 89: Brooklyn Drops Game 6 in Milwaukee

Kevin Durant delivered a game for the ages as the Brooklyn Nets etched a playoff classic at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.

The stakes were high — a 3-2 lead on the line in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series — and the obstacles were stacked. The Nets came in without Kyrie Irving. James Harden was a go at the last minute, playing for the first time in more than a week. And then they fell behind by 17 points.

Durant picked up all that weight and drove the Nets to the finish in a 114-108 win before an electrified Brooklyn crowd. With 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, the second playoff triple-double of Durant’s storied career was unprecedented in NBA history — the first player with at least 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a playoff game.

“Historic, historic performance,” said Nash. “He played the entire game, he barely missed, he got to line, 17 rebounds, ten assists, three steals, two blocks. I mean, 49 points, I mean it's ridiculous what he's able to do. I think…we know he’s capable of nights like this, but to do it tonight, we lose Ky, James obviously is going through his ailments, we’re down bodies, we’re wounded. And for him to have the toughness, that mentality, that's what makes him one of the all-time greats. And so this is a performance that’s a signature performance for Kevin, and it was beautiful to watch.”

While playing all 48 minutes, Durant shot 16-for-23 overall, 4-for-9 from 3-point range, and 13-for-16 from the foul line. With the Nets down 16 points midway through the third quarter, Durant scored 31 points in the second half and 20 in the fourth quarter. Durant tied the game at 91 with two free throws, then put the Nets ahead for the first time since the opening minute with a 3-pointer, and then put them ahead for good with another three 40 seconds later.

Over the second half, the Nets shot 64.9 percent overall and 47.6 percent from 3-point range and outscored the Bucks 71-49, including 33-21 in the fourth quarter.

“I just told guys to slow down," said Harden. "Like, defensively we were pretty solid. I think the first quarter, 29 points, second quarter, 30 points, so it wasn’t really necessarily our defense, it was our offense. We had 15 points and 28 points. We weren’t creating or generating any really good shots. It was like here and there, here and there, here and there. Like, we’re really good offensively to where we need to slow down and generate some really good shots, like every possession, and we started doing that. Obviously Kevin got going, but just even going forward, we were pressing, we were pressing, we were pressing. Slow down, we’re ok, we’ll be good. And in that second half I think we did that from everybody. Obviously Kevin got going but from everybody I think we settled into the game, got our matchups wherever we wanted and just do what we did.”

Harden, out since the opening minute of Game 1 with a hamstring strain, went from out, to doubtful, to questionable, to available over 24 hours and then played 46 minutes with eight assists and six rebounds. Blake Griffin scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

But when the Nets were looking for rhythm early on — they shot 35 percent in the first half — they had Jeff Green holding things together. Green set a playoff career high with seven 3-pointers on eight attempts and finished with 27 points while shooting 8-for-11 overall. He had the first three of those 3-pointers and 15 points in the first half.

“It's big-time, big-time confidence booster,” said Green of the win. “It shows that we can hunker down on the defensive end when we need to and make plays on the offensive end. Everybody. The way we fought through the whole game, we just stuck with it. We kept chipping away. We didn't allow their runs to give us bad body language or put us in a bad mood. We kept fighting and that's what it's about. We showed a lot of character tonight.”

Without Green’s early shooting, Brooklyn’s 16-point halftime deficit might have been too much to overcome. The Bucks grabbed the lead quickly with an early 12-0 run and the Nets opened the game making just two of their first 15 shots, including 1-for-10 from 3-point range, falling behind 29-15 at the end of the first quarter.

The Nets got going early in the second quarter with consecutive 3-pointers from Durant and Green. Brooklyn closed within nine points and made seven of its first 13 shots in the quarter, including 4-of-7 3-pointers. Durant’s baseline jumper made it 42-33 with seven minutes to go in the half, but the Bucks outscored the Nets 17-10 the rest of the quarter to go into halftime up 59-43.

Trailing 76-60 midway through the third quarter, the Nets ran off eight straight points — a Durant drive followed by 3-pointers from Green and Landry Shamet — that quickly cut the lead in half. When Harden found Joe Harris on a backdoor cut to the rim the Nets were within five — 79-74 with just under three minutes to go in the quarter. Durant’s three-point play closed the quarter and made it 87-81 going into the fourth.

Brooklyn evened the game with a 10-2 run in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, starting with consecutive Durant jumpers. Shamet hit a long jumper, Durant fed Bruce Brown underneath, and Durant made two free throws to tie the game at 91 with 9:13 remaining. After Giannis Antetokounmpo scored for Milwaukee, Durant gave the Nets their first lead since the opening minutes with a 3-pointer. Another Durant three and Shamet’s drive to the rim had Brooklyn up 99-96 with 6:14 remaining.

With the Nets up 99-98, Durant dropped in a faceup mid-range jumper for a 101-98 lead. Green’s 3-pointer made it 104-100 Nets with 3:41 remaining. After the Bucks tied the game at 104, Harden made two free throws with 1:27 to go in the game. Durant then beat the shot clock with a top-of-the-key 3-pointer for a 109-105 lead with 50.7 seconds left. With 15.3 seconds remaining, Durant made two free throws for a 111-107 lead.

“Everyone's excited to get Game 5,” said Nash. “We have the lead here. And we’ve got a great opportunity to go up there and try to improve and play better and have a great game. So guys are excited. Obviously we struggled for large parts, a lot of things going on, trying to balance so many things amongst our group that are just difficult. And so we had a tough start; we even had a tough start to the second half. And we kind of implored them to do what we've preached to them all year, and they started to find it. They defended the last 15 minutes of the game. So I'd say incredibly well. And we started to find a little more understanding offensively.”

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Nets 114, Bucks 108: Kevin Durant Leads Brooklyn With Historic Triple-Double

The Brooklyn Nets lost Kyrie Irving midway through the second quarter and the Milwaukee Bucks seized the momentum to start the second half as the Nets lost Game 4 at Fiserv Forum 107-96 on Sunday afternoon. They’ll return to Barclays Center for Tuesday’s Game 5 with the Eastern Conference semifinals tied at two games apiece.

The Nets were already without James Harden, who has not appeared in a game since leaving Game 1 in the opening minute with hamstring tightness. Irving had 11 points and five rebounds when he left the game with 5:52 remaining in the first half and the Nets trailing 44-40 after his right foot landed on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s foot as he landed after making a layup. At halftime, Irving was declared out for the game with a right ankle sprain.

Milwaukee then opened the second half with a 13-2 run as the Nets made just one of their first 11 shots and scored two points over the first 5:50 of the half, with the Bucks building a 16-point lead.

“Obviously, we lost a great player during the game which was tough,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “We didn’t play particularly well. I thought we had a pretty good start. I thought we dropped a little bit, they got going on some transition breakdowns, they started to get some three balls going and some offensive rebounds, some fifties, got a little separation at half. And then we struggled in the second half. So, we missed him, obviously. It was a big adjustment tonight to play without him and James, but we’ve had that type of year. So, we have to find a way to figure it out, to look at the tape and get better.”

Kevin Durant was the only other Net to score in double figures, finishing with 28 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the series. After Milwaukee’s run to open the second half, Durant scored 16 of Brooklyn’s final 17 points of the third quarter to get the Nets back within nine points. But overall, the Nets shot just 43.4 percent and 30.3 percent from 3-point range.

“We all have to pitch in, we’ve all got to play together, we have to move the ball,” said Nash. “And I thought tonight, we got a little single-minded. Went to Kevin every time, puts a little bit too much pressure on him and it makes us a little predictable, I thought, which puts a lot of burden on him. So, we’ve got plenty of guys that have stepped up in absences this year and done very well. I think we have to rely on each other, play a team game with the ball, and of course we are looking for Kevin as much as we can, but within reason and without confining ourselves and being predictable.”

The Nets and Bucks traded runs early on. Landry Shamet’s 3-pointer started a 13-0 Brooklyn run that stretched from the end of the first quarter to the opening minutes of the second. Irving closed the first quarter with a steal and layup and Jeff Green opened the second quarter with two free throws. Irving and Mike James made 3-pointers and the Nets were up 34-23.

But the Bucks followed with a 19-2 run to take a 44-38 lead and the Nets trailed 53-48 at halftime. Durant kept them in range going into the fourth quarter, but an 8-0 run extended Milwaukee’s lead to 19, with Jrue Holiday’s 3-pointer making it 97-78 for the Bucks with 7:01 remaining in the game.

The Nets left Brooklyn last week with a 2-0 series lead. They’ll return for a crucial Game 5 with the series even and status uncertain on Irving and Harden.

“The message is keep our heads up,” said Nash. “Now it's a three-game series. We’ve got to get home and rest up, get our mind and bodies right and study the film and try to put out our best performance on Tuesday. It's simple. Stay positive. We've had an adverse season, a lot of things have happened, we remained positive and that's what got us through the season so we have to have that same mentality here and find a way to solve some puzzles and preserve.”

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Bucks 107, Nets 96: Kevin Durant Scores 28 But Milwaukee Evens Series

Steve Nash described the Brooklyn Nets’ performance on the offensive end in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals as “uncharacteristic” and that might have applied to the entire affair.

The Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks were the NBA’s two highest scoring teams this season — both surpassed the league’s previous record for offensive efficiency — but both got stuck at that end before the Bucks pulled out an 86-83 win that cut Brooklyn’s lead in the series to two games to one with Game 4 due on Sunday.

“These are two elite offensive teams that played in the 80s,” said Nash. “They had a better start than us. I felt like they got a better quality of shots at times than we did. But it could have gone either way. We went really cold at the end of the game. We'll pick it apart. We'll look at it. We'll try to execute better, look at ways that we can learn from this game and move forward. It was a tough, tough playoff game where neither team was really shooting the ball well, creating good opportunities. Someone was gonna win ugly and it was them tonight."

The Nets fell behind by 21 points in the first quarter before getting back within three at halftime, setting up a second half that was a one-possession game for the final 22 minutes. Brooklyn went up 83-80 on Kevin Durant’s 3-pointer with 1:23 remaining before the Bucks scored the game’s final six points, coming up empty on two possessions in the final 10 seconds after Milwaukee took the lead.

“I just think we didn’t make shots down the stretch,” said Durant. “We made a couple but I think we got some good looks. I think we rushed a couple opportunities there. I like how we clawed back into the game but I hate how we even started off that way. I wish we’d have made a couple more plays down the stretch, but that was a tough one.”

The Nets have held the league’s highest scoring team to 86 points in consecutive games and an average of 93.0 points for the series as Milwaukee has shot 42.2 percent overall and 22.7 percent from 3-point range. That includes Thursday night’s 37.8/19.4 shooting split.

"We were pretty solid again,” said Nash. “That's three games now where I thought our defensive effort was good. It's interesting that we lose a game because of our offense but it was just a tough game. We just couldn't find a rhythm. A great opportunity for us to learn and grow from this. The defense was solid though, but we've gotta clean it up both ends of the floor but particularly offensively."

That was the surprising part, with the Nets having surpassed even their offensive numbers from the regular season through their first seven playoff games. But they struggled at the start in scoring just 11 first-quarter points and shot just 36.2 percent and 25.0 percent from 3-point range for the game.

Durant led Brooklyn with 30 points plus 11 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Kyrie Irving scored 22 points with five assists and three steals. Bruce Brown had 16 points and 11 rebounds, career playoff highs in both categories for his first career playoff double-double.

“We’ve just got to look at the way we executed,” said Nash. “I thought we didn't make shots. We had some looks that we just didn't make that we normally make, but I thought our execution could have been better throughout. Great experience for our guys, like we said a new group, they're still learning, they're still figuring things out together and so it's a great experience for us even if it was a painful one.”

Milwaukee scored the game’s first nine points and led 30-9 in the final minute of the first quarter. After Durant scored the final basket of the first quarter, the Nets scored the first seven of the second quarter on consecutive Irving jumpers and a Landry Shamet 3-pointer to quickly bring the Nets within 12 points.

After Jrue Holiday’s jumper for the Bucks, Brown scored eight straight points in the paint for the Nets. Giannis Antetokounmpo made 1-of-2 from the line for Milwaukee and then Mike James finished a drive and Brown again scored off the roll. Durant made 1-of-2 from the line and the Nets were within 33-31 with 4:25 to go in the half. The Nets made nine of their first 11 shots in the second quarter and outscored the Bucks 20-3 over the first 7:35.

With Milwaukee back up 44-37, Durant made two free throws and Joe Harris hit a 3-pointer to make it 44-42 before the Bucks went into the break leading 45-42. Taking advantage of Brown finding space in the paint, Brooklyn shot 61.9 percent in the second quarter (13-for-21) to bounce back from its shooting struggles at the start but couldn’t get back to that rhythm after halftime.

“I think we missed good looks,” said Durant. “We got some early on. I guess we were just hoping the next shot went in and then they got up 15 and then we'll come down and get a good look and then they miss and now they out on a long rebound so it just didn't work out for us to start the game. I like how we stayed with it. That's just probably the name of the game for us in the playoffs is continue to keep pushing, keep fighting, each and every possession and it will turn for us. So tonight it turned for us a little bit but we definitely didn't get over the hump the way we wanted to.”

Brooklyn finally got even with a Durant 3-pointer tying the game at 57 with five minutes to go in the third quarter. Another Brown floater had the Nets in the lead for the first time at 65-64 with a minute to go in the quarter before Khris Middleton made three free throws to give the Bucks a 67-65 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Nets went up 70-69 early in the fourth quarter after Irving connected for a 3-pointer and a baseline jumper, and with the Bucks back up 74-70, Durant posted up for a turnaround jumper and Brown dunked off a breakout from a turnover to tie the game at 74 with 7:21 to go.

With the game tied at 76 with under three minutes to go, Durant and Middleton traded baskets to bring the game to another tie at 80 apiece with just under two minutes to go before Durant’s 3-pointer put the Nets in the lead. But then Middleton drew a goaltending call on a drive and Holiday scored in transition to put the Bucks up 84-83 with 11.4 seconds left. Middleton then made two free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining.

“We had ample opportunities,” said Nash. “We were back in the game the whole second half. We had a ton of good looks at the end of the game. Probably didn't execute as well as we'd like. We still got good looks. We didn't make any of them, it felt like. Just one of those nights where maybe we didn't execute well enough, didn't have enough poise, but plenty of stuff we can work on and get better at."

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Bucks 86, Nets 83: Brooklyn Comes Up Short in Game 3

An offensive clinic. A defensive shutdown. As fine a game as the Brooklyn Nets have played this season.

The Nets are up 2-0 on the Milwaukee Bucks in their Eastern Conference semifinal after an absolute wipeout at Barclays Center on Monday night, a wire-to-wire 125-86 win in which they led by as many as 49 points early in the fourth quarter.

It was headed in that direction from the start. The Nets jumped out to a 17-point lead at the end of the first quarter and stretched that to 27 before they got to halftime. It was a stunningly one-sided win, with the Nets setting a franchise playoff record for margin of victory.

“I think we were capable of greatness every single night,” said Kyrie Irving. “Just depends on the approach we have coming in. Throughout the regular season I feel like we would let our guard down playing against some of the teams in our league and they would punch us in the mouth and we would come in and talk to you guys after the game about what happened. I think we just figured out the little things in terms of how to create separation within the game and just remain resilient throughout. That’s basically what it’s come to. It’s just remaining resilient no matter what’s going on and sticking to our preparation, our game plan.”

The Nets shot 52.1 percent overall and 50.0 percent from 3-point range and delivered another high-activity, low-mistake effort offensively with 27 assists against just eight turnovers. Brooklyn's 21 3-pointers on 42 attempts were a franchise playoff record. Through seven playoff games, the Nets are shooting 49.6 percent overall, 43.2 percent from 3-point range, and 90.8 percent on free throws.

Brooklyn’s offensive rating for the game was 133.0 points per 100 possessions, its second highest of the postseason and the fifth time the Nets came in at 125.0 points or higher through seven games. They’re scoring 128.5 points per 100 possessions, well above their league-leading, record-setting rate of the regular season of 117.3.

“I think we've just tried to preach philosophy,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “We have our sets, we have our actions, but really more than anything, try to preach a way of playing, and that is to make quick decisions, move the ball, space the floor, play off one another in an intelligent way. And just, I think the cohesion and feel for one another's grown. I think we understand the way or are increasingly understanding the way that different lineups need to play with one another. And trying to be as philosophical in our approach as much as anything, rather than being too scripted. And so they've grown into that. I think that right now you're seeing it's just starting to find that cohesion, no matter who's on the floor.”

Kevin Durant led the Nets with 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including 4-of-6 3-pointers, plus six assists and four rebounds. Irving had 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, with six assists and five rebounds.

Bruce Brown and Joe Harris scored 13 points each, with Brown adding six rebounds and four assists. Mike James had 10 points and four assists.

On the other end, the Nets again limited the Bucks from 3-point range, this time to 29.6 percent shooting after a similar performance in Game 1. The one thing the Nets hadn’t been able to do through four games this season was slow Giannis Antetokounmpo, but this time he was held to just 18 points. The Nets held the Bucks to just 19 points in the first quarter on 36.4 percent shooting and it was never a game after that.

“The guys have worked hard out of this year trying to find our best kind of level defensively, what works for us, how we can refine and improve it,” said Nash. “Tonight was exceptional. But our defense has been pretty solid throughout the playoffs. So it's something that we're proud of but we’ve got to always feel like underdogs down there and play with that heart and connectivity to do everything we can to overcome some of the disadvantages we have in size and and whatnot. So great efforts tonight. We're growing, we're improving at that end of the floor, it's important for us to continue to feel the need for growth down there.”

Brooklyn was up 17-13 midway through the first quarter, then outscored Milwaukee 19-6 through the rest of the quarter to build a 17-point lead. Irving’s jumper was followed by 3-pointers from Harris and Landry Shamet, then Irving stopped on a dime in transition for a long two and a 12-point lead. Durant closed the quarter ducking in for a short jumper followed by a top-of-the-key 3-pointer to put the Nets up 36-19.

A Harris drive and Brown floater to open the second quarter pushed the Brooklyn lead beyond 20 points. With a 52-33 lead in hand, the Nets got a drive from James, a Durant 3-pointer and then a James 3-pointer for a 60-33 lead — the 27-point margin was their largest of the half — and went into halftime up 65-41.

By the end of the third quarter, the lead was 30.

Early threes in the second half — two by Harris, one by Irving — extended the Brooklyn lead to 74-46. The Nets were up 85-64 when Durant’s score was followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Shamet. Durant closed the quarter with a drive down the lane, flipping the ball in over his shoulder for a 95-65 lead.

"Whether you win by two or you win by 25 it's just one game,” said Nash. “We held home court. We performed well in the two games. For our group, we want to keep growing, keep getting better. We're still very new to one another and so there's a lot of things that we can continue to refine and improve and we'll go and try to keep improving in Milwaukee."

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Nets 125, Bucks 86: Brooklyn Routs Milwaukee for 2-0 Series Lead

The Brooklyn Nets spent the season thriving through adversity and that resilience reappeared in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals as they broke away from the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half for a 115-107 Game 1 win.

Head coach Steve Nash said before the game that the Nets hadn’t really been “punched in the mouth” in their five-game first-round win over the Boston Celtics and that test came in opening minute against the Bucks — probably not in the way Nash was thinking about — when the Nets lost James Harden for the night with a hamstring injury.

They weathered it from every corner of the roster. They got 45 minutes from Kyrie Irving and 30 from Mike James, who had played a total of nine minutes against the Celtics. Blake Griffin had his second double-double of the season and it might have been a triple-double if you counted the floor burns. Assists came from everywhere.

“Guys have faced a lot of scenarios like this all season,” said Nash. “In that respect we weren’t afraid. We didn’t hang our heads. And I was really impressed with our perseverance. It could have been an emotional toll on us. To get out of the first round and to prepare for a few days for the series and have our lead playmaker go down in the first minute, that could derail a team. Our guys went through this and they hung in there and their toughness was on display.”

Down seven in the first quarter, the Nets flipped that into an 11-point second quarter lead and led by two at halftime. They broke out to a 16-point lead in the final minute of third quarter after Kevin Durant scored seven straight points to wrap up a 12-2 run and led by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter.

"We try not to be too emotional out there but losing one of your leaders like that first play of the game we had to regroup for a few minutes and figure out what was next, but I think the coaching staff did a great job of moving forward and guys came in and just tried to play extremely hard,” said Durant. “We didn't care about anything else but playing and executing the game plan and leaving it all out there.”

Durant and Griffin both had double-doubles, with Durant leading Brooklyn with 29 points and adding 10 rebounds. Griffin had 18 points and 14 rebounds and kept the Nets and the Barclays Center crowd charged up with his hustle play and crashes to the deck in battles for loose balls.

“When he plays like that it just ignites the whole crowd and ignites our team when he's down on the floor playing tough and big as a center,” said Durant. “And a lot of guys have moved down I guess as far as guarding bigger players in this series. So Blake is one of those guys that’s been battling all playoffs and in the first game. To play 35 minutes to grind like that, very, very promising start to this series.”

Without Harden, Irving nearly went the distance in playing 45 minutes. His 20 first-half points sparked the Nets early as they regrouped without Harden, and he finished with 25 points and a team-high eight assists.

Joe Harris made 5-of-9 3-pointers and shot 7-of-11 overall in scoring 19 points while James stepped into the Harden void with 12 points and seven rebounds in those 30 big minutes. James was one of five Nets with at least three assists.

While Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points for Milwaukee, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday combined for just 30 as the Nets held the Bucks to 6-for-30 shooting from 3-point range.

“We were solid,” said Nash. “I mean, those guys are capable. They can have big games. It’s about just the overall picture. Tonight, they missed shots, but I thought we pursued, we persevered, we didn’t relax and give them freebies. We were able to make them earn it. Tonight they didn’t go. They could go next game, but it’s about the overall team and our ability to persevere and to fight and scrap and claw and to not give them anything easy. I thought that was there from start to finish tonight.”

With Milwaukee leading 28-21 late in the first quarter, the Nets evened the game with a 9-2 run on an Irving drive followed by a Griffin 3-pointer. James scored and Durant drained a turnaround jumper out of the post to tie the game at 30 before the Bucks took a 32-30 lead into the second quarter.

The Nets opened up the second quarter making seven of their first 10 shots, with consecutive 3-pointers from Irving and James giving Brooklyn a 47-42 lead. Leading 51-48, the Nets ran off eight straight points, starting with another Durant turnaround followed by four straight from Bruce Brown — two free throws and then a paint finish — followed by an Irving drive for a 59-48 lead with 3:22 to go in the half. The Bucks outscored them 13-4 into the break from there, with Brook Lopez’s three-point play with 0.1 seconds left in the half bringing the Bucks within 63-61 at the break.

Leading 74-71, the Nets outscored the Bucks 24-13 for the remainder of the third quarter. A 9-2 run pushed the lead to 10 points, and with the Nets up 86-80, a 12-2 run followed. Irving drained a corner three in transition, then came up with a steal and dish to Landry Shamet for a fast break slam.

Durant then scored seven straight — driving into a little push shot, making two free throws, then dropping in a 3-pointer over Antetokounmpo for a 98-82 lead with 4.6 seconds left in the quarter before the Nets went into the fourth quarter leading 98-84.

With Milwaukee back within 103-93 in the fourth quarter, Durant drained a pull-up jumper, then threw down a transition dunk off Irving’s over-the-shoulder pass. James converted a reverse layup off a drive and the Nets led 109-93 with 5:54 remaining. Harris made two 3-pointers within a 90-second span and Brooklyn had a 115-96 lead with 3:40 to go.

“Anytime we lose a player somebody has to step up, but it was collective,” said Griffin. “We said that in the huddle, 'we'll be alright, we've got to step up everybody.' So I had a feeling coming into this series, little different than last series. Different defensive schemes and a little bit more opportunity. Obviously a bigger team so playing a little bit more minutes so everybody puts in the work every single day, everybody stays ready, everybody that played tonight had a pretty big impact so I'm proud of everybody.”

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Nets 115, Bucks 107: Brooklyn Breaks Away in Second Half of Series Opener

With one more burst from their big three, the Brooklyn Nets closed out the Boston Celtics and set course for an Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Celtics were still within eight points with under eight minutes to go when Kevin Durant, then Kyrie Irving, then James Harden each knocked down a 3-pointer within a one-minute span. Bruce Brown followed with a rebound basket and the Nets were up 17 and locked in on their 123-109 win in Game 5 at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.

“It was nice to get that final bit of separation and effectively end the series,” said Nets head coach Steve Nash. “Proud of all the guys that put the effort in and made this go. Obviously the big three were sensational but it really takes a team effort, whether the guys are in the rotation and playing their role or they're not and they're on the bench and they're just trying to know the game plan and support their teammate it all really is a team effort and I thought our complementary players did a great job."

With the win, the second-seeded Nets clinched their first playoff series since the 2014 season and locked in a matchup with the third-seeded Bucks, coming off a first-round sweep of the Miami Heat.

Harden led Brooklyn with 34 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds for the first 30-point triple-double in the franchise’s playoff history. Harden shot 10-for-17 overall, 4-for-7 from 3-point range, and 10-for-11 on free throws.

Irving had 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting and Durant had 24 points while making 4-of-6 3-pointers. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the three became only the second trio of teammates to all average at least 24 points in a playoff series after the 1984 Denver Nuggets. In their first extended action together since mid-February, they took complete control of their first playoff series together.

“I think it’s not even about the playoff run; I think just us, and when I first got traded here, the excitement in the vision of us playing together,” said Harden. “I think that's what we were missing the whole season. So I think that's what was more exciting. We weren't even worried about the playoff run. We were just happy to be on the court together. So it's great to get one series out the way, and like I said we'll take tomorrow off and recoup and get ready for Milwaukee.”

Bruce Brown had 10 points and five rebounds and Joe Harris finished with 10 points as the Nets shot 51.2 percent overall and 46.9 percent from 3-point range.

Harden scored nine of Brooklyn’s first 15 points and then the Nets closed the first quarter with a 12-3 run. It started with a Tyler Johnson 3-pointer followed by drives by Durant and Irving, then Harden’s two free throws. An Irving 3-pointer put the Nets up 31-24 going into the second quarter.

After missing their first five 3-pointers of the game, the Nets made seven of their next 10 through halftime, while limiting Boston to 23.1 percent 3-point shooting in the first half, going into halftime up 59-51.

Brooklyn pushed its lead as high as 14 points in the third quarter. First, an early 7-0 run — two Durant free throws, a Harden three-point play and a Blake Griffin dunk — made it 66-54. Another pair of Durant free throws had the Nets up 75-61 with 7:21 to go in the quarter. But the Celtics eventually closed within 86-79 on Jayson Tatum’s jumper to beat the third-quarter buzzer.

The Nets again extended the lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, this time with an 8-2 run to start the period. Harden made 1-of-2 from the line, then hit a 3-pointer. After Evan Fournier scored for Boston, Nic Claxton threw down consecutive dunks for a 94-81 lead.

Then came that final run to put the Celtics away and move on to face Milwaukee.

“We do understand that it’s a long journey so we want to celebrate our small wins,” said Irving. “It’s easy to consider the Bucks — obviously they’re right in front of us in a few days. So I agree. I’m right in the same boat as him, excited to think about the task at hand, how great that team is and what it’s gonna take to be successful against them on both ends of the floor. So we’ll deal with that when that time comes, but as of right now, we’ll celebrate the small wins, thankful we got out of here healthy.

“We played against kind of a lesser Celtics team than what it’s been in the regular season. So we wanted to give all the respect to those guys and all of the work that they put in as well. We don’t want to disrespect them or anything they put forth in terms of their hard work. That boy Jayson Tatum as I’ve said over the time that I’ve played with him has grown tremendously. Nothing short of proud of him. Nothing short of proud of (Marcus) Smart and all the guys that gave us their competitive spirit. So now we move on and we take what we learned from this series and move forward.”