Hot Khris, Giannis help Bucks force a Game 7

LOS ANGELES • Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 68 points, as the hosts Milwaukee Bucks led wire-to-wire on Thursday to beat the Brooklyn Nets 104-89 in Game 6 of their National Basketball Association (NBA) Western Conference semi-final play-off series.

Middleton had a play-off career high 38 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Bucks, who evened the best-of-seven series at 3-3.

The Bucks changed their defensive strategy and Middleton had the hot hand while shooting from the perimeter to push the series to a decisive Game 7.

"We were solid all night," said the All-Star, who shot 11-for-16 from the floor, five-for-eight from three-point range, and was 11-of-12 at the free-throw line.

"We just tried to make it tough on (Kevin) Durant and (James) Harden and we were able to do that.

"The play-offs are about adjusting. We had a little lead at the half and we were able to keep it and extend it in the fourth quarter."

Game 7 is today in Brooklyn, where the Nets have won all three games at the Barclays Centre.

But after two successive post-season failures, the Bucks hope they can seal an Eastern Conference Finals match-up with either the Atlanta Hawks or the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers.

Milwaukee's win not only keeps their season alive but also the streak of the home team winning every game of the series so far.

"It will be win or go home. That is what the players and fans love about it," said Middleton.

After rallying behind a monster performance by Durant for their Game 5 victory on Tuesday, the Nets failed to win in the first potential close-out game of the series.

"We didn't do well tonight offensively," said Brooklyn coach Steve Nash. "We were out of rhythm and out of sync for the entire game.

"Defensively, we weren't great either. Just not a great game from us, and now we got a Game 7 on our home court."

While Harden played his second straight game after missing the previous three meetings due to injury, the Nets were again without fellow All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who suffered an ankle sprain in Game 4 and remains a doubt for today.

The visitors were paced by 32 points from Durant, who also had 11 rebounds, while Harden, still feeling his way back, scored a further 16 points, below his average of 24.6 points.

Separately, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle stepped down after 13 seasons with the team on Thursday.

The 61-year-old guided the franchise to their only NBA championship in 2011 and was their most successful coach, compiling a record of 555 wins against 478 defeats. But since then, he has failed to guide the Mavericks beyond the first round of the play-offs, failing on six occasions, including this year's elimination by the Los Angeles Clippers, and failing to qualify four other times.

REUTERS