The Milwaukee Bucks did not have their superstar on Thursday, but did not miss a beat. They got off to a sensationasl start where they scored 30 of the first 40 points, en route to a 123-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks in game five of the Western Conference Finals. With the win, the Bucks are one win away from reaching the finals, where they will face the Phoenix Suns.
It was Brook Lopez of North Hollywood, California, who led the Bucks in scoring on Thursday. The 7’0″, 282 pound center had 33 points, the most points he has ever scored in a playoff game in his career. The most points Lopez has scored in a playoff game before Thursday was on May 15, 2019 when he scored 29 points for the Bucks in a 108-100 win over the Toronto Raptors in game one of the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals. Lopez was unable to sustain the offensive prowess however, and the Bucks would lose four straight games in the series after winning their first two contests.
Four Bucks reached the 20-point plateau in game five. Khris Middleton of Charleston, South Carolina had 26 points, Jrue Holiday of Chatsworth, California had 25 points, and Bobby Portis of Little Rock, Arkansas had 22 points. Middleton had a double-double as he had 13 rebounds.
Thursday belonged to Lopez, who dominated in the paint, and could not be defended. According to ESPN, 26 of Lopez’s 33 points on the night came while being in the green at the Fiserv Forum.
One might think that teams do not come back from 3-2 deficits often. However, the Bucks accomplished the feat in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Brooklyn Nets. In the first round, the Los Angeles Clippers came back to beat the Dallas Mavericks after being down three games to two.
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