The Milwaukee Bucks avoided the 3-0 hole in the second round of the playoffs after winning the crucial Game 3 of their series against the Brooklyn Nets in a low-scoring ball game, 86-83, Fiserv Forum.

Dodging The Bullet

The Bucks were led by their stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Both of the stars had huge performances for the Bucks with a combined 68-point production in a 1990s-style defensive slugfest.

But aside from the two stars, it is Jrue Holiday who figured out how to win against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets expected him to call a timeout the moment his team got the ball trailing by one in the final minute. But instead, Holiday delivered just in time to keep his team from falling into a 3-0 hole, a deficit which no NBA team has ever recovered.

The driving layup made by Holiday with 11.4 seconds left places the Bucks in a good position. They held the lead, which resulted in an 86-83 victory Thursday night. The win also put the Bucks in a manageable 2-1 deficit in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

According to CBS Sports, the Bucks were on fire at the opening period. However, the Nets made their way back to the game before the half-time ended. But the Bucks were able to sustain a solid effort over the full 48 minutes of the game.

The Bucks dodged a bullet after Nets' star Kevin Durant launched a game-tying 3-point attempt, but it bounced off the rim as the horn sounded. 

Durant scored the Nets' last nine points and finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. His co-star, Nets' guard Kyrie Irving dropped 22 points, 5 rebounds, and only an assist, which is an unusual statistic for the former no.1 pick.

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Old School Basketball

Meanwhile, Holiday shared that he made his decision to attack when he saw Bruce Brown. He forced a one-on-one on Brown and ended up getting a layup.

Moreover, the Milwaukee squad relied on its defense to win Game 3 against a team that features the NBA's most efficient team in terms of scoring. The crucial Game 3 turned into a 1990s-style defensive slugfest that favored the Bucks at the end.

On the other hand, the Brooklyn Nets had its lowest scoring output of the season. While the Milwaukee Bucks matched its lowest point total of the season from its 125-86 Game 2 loss. But this time, they got away with a win.

Bucks star Antetokounmpo said that at the end of the day, a win is a win. The Greek Freak also emphasized that it doesn't matter if they win by 30 because for them, what is more important is they can go back home and celebrate the 'W,' ESPN reported.

The Bucks will try to even the series on Game 4, scheduled on Sunday, June 13, in Milwaukee.

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WATCH: Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks Full GAME 3 Highlights | 2021 NBA Playoffs -from
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