NBA play-offs: Milwaukee Bucks reach final after beating Atlanta Hawks

Last update on.From section BasketballThe Milwaukee Bucks won the Eastern Conference title by beating the Atlanta Hawks to reach the NBA Finals, their first appearance since 1974.To win the best-of-7 series 4-2, the Bucks won game six 118-107.Khris Middleton had 32 points, and Jrue holiday 27 to help Milwaukee's side beat injured star player Giannis Antitookounmpo.In the final, they will face the Western Conference champions, the Phoenix Suns.From Wednesday, 02:00 BST, the first game of the best-of-7 series will be played in Phoenix.Middleton again played a key role for the Bucks, scoring 16 points in a row (and 23 total) in the third quarter for them to take a 91-72 advantage going into the final period.Antetokounmpo (left), missed the Bucks' last two games, but they still managed both victoriesMiddleton said, "My team-mates, and my coaches, told me to continue being aggressive,""I love it. They work hard every day. Everyone stays prepared. Everyone stays in. Everyone plays for one another. That's all you need.After two games, Trae Young returned to the Hawks with a foot injury. He managed 14 points. Cam Reddish scored a team record 21 points for the home team.Young stated, "I didn’t want to play and I thought to myself all offseason what if..."It would have been hurtful so I decided to just go out and play and leave everything out on the ground."Because they have a better record during the regular season, the Suns will be at home in the finals series.It is unknown if Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA Most Valuable player Antetokounmpo, will be able to return to play after sustaining a knee injury.After his team's victory, Mike Budenholzer, Bucks coach, said that "they have a focus" and that they have an edge."That has put us in a place to continue playing. This is impressive, but there's still much to be done.