BUCKS 115 - NETS 111
The Brooklyn Nets were supposed to be an unstoppable juggernaut, a team built and destined to win the NBA title based solely on the fact that they loaded up on the All Star talents of Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, and even Blake Griffin.
Instead Sean Marks' gamble turned up snake eyes, as the Nets proved - even in a valiant effort, especially by Durant - that nothing is ever guaranteed.
And that takes us to Game 7. Even though the game was a back-and-forth classic for most of the night, the Nets did have a 10-point lead late in the second quarter after Harden hit a floater, drew a foul, and connected on a free throw. The Nets would never enjoy such a lead again.
The Bucks chipped away, played solid defense, and flustered the Nets offensive rhythm. At one point it looked like Milwaukee would sneak out of Barclays Center with a win in regulation after the Nets five point lead with 4:00 to play evaporated thanks to a couple of huge clutch long distance jumpers by Kris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, as well as a nice little roll in by Giannis Antetokounmpo put the Bucks in front 104-101.
For the final three minutes, the Bucks wouldn't give the Nets a look at three, forcing them to drive inside, and while Milwaukee made a few stops, it couldn't cool down Durant who hit a huge pullup jumper with 42.3 seconds to go to cut the Milwaukee lead to two, 109-107, and then of course the finish with the long distance two pointer that could have been three and a game winner had Durant kicked his foot off the line before taking the shot with six seconds left.
Overtime was a complete mess. A combination of bad shooting and worse officiating as the Nets grabbed a 111-109 lead and held on to it for dear life for exactly three minutes until Antetokounmpo bounced in the two pointer to tie the game at 111 with 1:12 to go.
Soon the misses by Brookyln were adding up. Harden, whom the Nets traded two very good players and three years of first rounds to Houston earlier this year, was as cold as could be in the most important time of the year, missing three three-point shots, including a 26-footer that would have all but iced the game with 1:42 to go in OT.
With the game tied, ex-Net Brook Lopez blocked a Durant drive to the hoop only to watch the ball get kicked out to Joe Harris who missed a three with 56.6 to go.
That set up Middleton's 360 degree spin-around-n-shoot dagger with 40.7 seconds that gave the Bucks a 113-111 lead.
The Nets would ask Durant, twice more to win the game, and he couldn't missing his final two shots, including a three-point attempt to win the game with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Durant finished with 48. It was a incredible effort by a man, who has carried the Nets on his broad shoulders throughout this series. It was not as good a day for Harden, who -- despite finishing with 22 points -- was 5-of-17 from the floor and 2-for-12 beyond the arc. Black Griffin was virtually invisible in the second half, and fouled out in OT. DeAndre Jordan never played, and didn't play at all in this series, even though he was never listed as injured.
Kyrie Irving, of course, hadn't played since injuring his ankle in Game 4.
You can use injuries as an excuse all you want. The fact is the Nets were expected to win it all despite it. The supposed Big 3 played only 8 games together in the regular season, and the prevailing thought was together this team would be unstoppable in the playoffs. Instead they were stopped by a deeper and better coached ball club. Nothing is ever guaranteed.
With one year, maybe even two years left on the deals of Durant and Irving, the Nets have to prove it or else in 2022. There are never excuses for greatness, especially when expectations are this high.
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