MILWAUKEE – Even without their biggest star, the Milwaukee Bucks figured out a way to end their recent habit of slow starts.
Now they’re just one win away from finishing off the Atlanta Hawks and earning their first NBA Finals berth in nearly half a century.
Brook Lopez scored a playoff career-high 33 points to lead a balanced attack and the Bucks never trailed in a 123-112 victory over the Hawks on Thursday night that gave them a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
“It’s exciting. But it’s obviously not done,” Lopez said. “We need to bottle that energy and effort we had tonight and do it again in two days.”
The Bucks haven’t reached the NBA Finals since 1974. They won their lone NBA title in 1971.