MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks went on a 21-4 second quarter run and used it as momentum to propel them to a 107-96 Game 4 victory over the No.2 seeded powerhouse Brooklyn Nets
The rallying push, which saw the Bucks end up leading by as many as 19 points, tied the best-of-seven series at 2-2 on Monday before a raucuous crowd of 16,310 inside the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee..
Game 5 is Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Once up 2-0 and seemingly in control of this series, the Nets’ fortunes have suddenly changed with the ankle injury sustained by Kyrie Irving, who was diagnosed with a grade 2 sprain. His status remains to be determined.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the No.3 seeded Bucks’ charge with 34 points and 12 rebounds. Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton added 19 while P.J. Tucker and Jrue Holiday combined for 27 as Milwaukee took control in the second half.
“We’re happy, but we gotta keep getting better, keep playing together and hopefully we can get into Brooklyn and take one,” Antetokounmpo said.
That task might have just gotten a little more doable as Irving’s ankle is becoming an issue move forward while James Harden continues to deal with a bum hamstring.
Kevin Durant attempted to carry Brooklyn on his shoulders with 28 points but he shot just 9-of-25 from the field and a horrendous 1-for-8 from 3-point distance. And he got little support as no other Net outside of Irving’s 11 points scored in double figures.
Brooklyn shot poorly from the field, just 43.4 percent (36-of-83). They also struggled beyond the arc at 10-for-33 for 30.3 percent.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, canned 39 of its 88 shots (44.3 percent) and 16 of its 47 threes (34 percent).
