The offence has fallen off a cliff in Brooklyn, as the Bucks held the Nets to under 100 points for the second straight game on Sunday.  Milwaukee finished with a 107-96 win and tied the series at two games apiece.  Game 5 will go in Brooklyn on Tuesday night.

The Bucks are 3.5-point road favourites to win on the NBA odds, with a total of 218.5.

Bucks vs. Nets NBA Playoff Odds

The two games in Milwaukee have split bettors, with the Bucks getting a slim 54 per cent majority of the action.  With Brooklyn’s offence struggling heavily, it’s easy to see why the Under is getting 75 per cent of the action for Game 5.  The total has gone Under in the last six games between these teams.

Milwaukee improved to 14-4 straight up in their last 18 games.  They’re also 8-3 SU in their last 11 games in Brooklyn.  The Bucks are now -154 favourites to win the series.  They’re +450 to win the NBA Championship, trailing Brooklyn (+225), Utah (+340) and Phoenix (+375).

The Nets desperately need a return to Brooklyn, where they’ve won and covered the spread in eight straight games.  The total has gone Under in their last five games overall.  Brooklyn is +110 to win the series.  At +175, the favoured exact series score is Brooklyn to lose 4-2.

Milwaukee Bucks

We’ve got ourselves a series now.  Milwaukee’s big guns were essential in erasing the 2-0 series deficit and winning both games in Milwaukee.  In Game 4, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game-high 34 points and team-high 12 boards.  Khris Middleton finished with 19 points and eight assists.  Sunday’s win is in large part because of a better 3-point shooting percentage for the Bucks.  In Games 1-3 they shot a combined 20-for-88 (22.7 per cent) from deep, but they nailed six triples by about the three-minute mark of the second quarter in Game 4.

Antetokounmpo has been one of the few consistent players on either team in the series.  He’s hit the 30-point mark in three of four games and is adjusting his shooting style.  After trying (and failing) to hit the 3-ball in Games 1-3, Antetokounmpo relied more on driving the net in Game 4.  P.J. Tucker has also had a great series.  He’s been a thorn in Kevin Durant‘s side and made three triples on Sunday, finishing the game with 13 points.

Brooklyn Nets

Maybe Brooklyn should check the lost-and-found because their offence has been M.I.A. for the last two games. With James Harden already sidelined, the Nets were also without Kyrie Irving for more than half of Game 4.  Irving left halfway through the second quarter on Sunday with a sprained ankle.  There’s been no update yet, but keep an eye on the injury report leading up to game time.  Harden was sidelined with a right hamstring strain just 43 seconds into Game 1.

The last of the Big Three will have to pick up the slack in the absences of Harden and Irving.  After the Irving injury, most of the defence shifted to focus on Durant.  Despite this, Durant still finished with a team-high 28 points and game-high 13 rebounds.  How he deals with Tucker will be the biggest obstacle for Durant.  Tucker is clearly getting under his skin, but without Harden and Irving in the lineup, Durant has to rise above the frustration for Brooklyn to win this series.

NBA Playoff Prediction: Who Will Win Bucks vs. Nets?

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Bucks Team Leaders

MIL

Points	Giannis Antetokounmpo 28.15
Assists	Jrue Holiday 6.05
Rebounds	Giannis Antetokounmpo 11
FG%	Rodions Kurucs 62.5
Steals	Jrue Holiday 1.63
Blocks	Brook Lopez 1.47

BK

Points	Kevin Durant 26.94
Assists	James Harden 10.89
Rebounds	James Harden 8.53
FG%	DeAndre Jordan 76.3
Steals	Kyrie Irving 1.41
Blocks	LaMarcus Aldridge 2.2

MIL

Points	Giannis Antetokounmpo 30.19
Assists	Jrue Holiday 8.65
Rebounds	Giannis Antetokounmpo 12.81
FG%	Justin Jackson 60
Steals	Jrue Holiday 1.65
Blocks	Brook Lopez 1.48

BK

Points	Kevin Durant 34.25
Assists	James Harden 8.56
Rebounds	Kevin Durant 9.25
FG%	Alize Johnson 57.1
Steals	James Harden 1.67
Blocks	Kevin Durant 1.58

• Regular Season
• Playoffs

Nets Team Leaders

MIL

Points	Giannis Antetokounmpo 28.15
Assists	Jrue Holiday 6.05
Rebounds	Giannis Antetokounmpo 11
FG%	Rodions Kurucs 62.5
Steals	Jrue Holiday 1.63
Blocks	Brook Lopez 1.47

BK

Points	Kevin Durant 26.94
Assists	James Harden 10.89
Rebounds	James Harden 8.53
FG%	DeAndre Jordan 76.3
Steals	Kyrie Irving 1.41
Blocks	LaMarcus Aldridge 2.2

MIL

Points	Giannis Antetokounmpo 30.19
Assists	Jrue Holiday 8.65
Rebounds	Giannis Antetokounmpo 12.81
FG%	Justin Jackson 60
Steals	Jrue Holiday 1.65
Blocks	Brook Lopez 1.48

BK

Points	Kevin Durant 34.25
Assists	James Harden 8.56
Rebounds	Kevin Durant 9.25
FG%	Alize Johnson 57.1
Steals	James Harden 1.67
Blocks	Kevin Durant 1.58

Injuries

Milwaukee

Thanasis Antetokounmpo (SF)

Out indefinitely Illness - 17 / 07 / 21

Sam Merrill (PG)

Ques Tues Ankle - 17 / 07 / 21

Sam Merrill (PG)

Ques Sun Ankle - 09 / 06 / 21

Jordan Nwora (PF)

Ques Fri Thigh - 07 / 06 / 21

Donte DiVincenzo (SG)

out for season Foot - 28 / 05 / 21

Jeff Teague (PG)

Ques Thurs Knee - 21 / 05 / 21

Thanasis Antetokounmpo (SF)

Mid June Knee - 17 / 05 / 21

Khris Middleton (SF)

Ques Sat Ankle - 16 / 05 / 21

P.J. Tucker (SF)

Prob Fri Neck - 06 / 05 / 21

Khris Middleton (SF)

Prob Fri Knee - 05 / 05 / 21

Brooklyn

Alize Johnson (SF)

Ques Sat Ankle - 30 / 05 / 21

Jeff Green (SF)

Prob Sun Foot - 25 / 05 / 21

Landry Shamet (PG)

Prob Sat Ankle - 21 / 05 / 21

Joe Harris (SG)

Prob Sat Hip - 12 / 05 / 21

Bruce Brown (PG)

Ques Tues Face - 11 / 05 / 21

Bruce Brown (PG)

Ques Sun Knee - 26 / 04 / 21

Alize Johnson (SF)

Out indefinitely Illness - 23 / 04 / 21

Nicolas Claxton (PF)

Out indefinitely Illness - 19 / 04 / 21

Reggie Perry (PF)

Out indefinitely Illness - 19 / 04 / 21

Blake Griffin (PF)

Out Fri Rest - 16 / 04 / 21

Injuries

Milwaukee

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Thanasis Antetokounmpo (SF)	Out indefinitely	Illness - 17 / 07 / 21	2-0	1-1	+ -
Antetokounmpo is going through the league's health and safety protocols, and he will miss an undetermined length of time.
Sam Merrill (PG)	Ques Tues	Ankle - 17 / 07 / 21	2-0	1-1	+ -
Merrill has a sprained right ankle and is questionable for Game 6 of the NBA Final.
Sam Merrill (PG)	Ques Sun	Ankle - 09 / 06 / 21	10-7	7-8-2	+ -
Merrill is dealing with a right ankle sprain, and it is unknown if he will be in the lineup for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second round versus the Nets.
Jordan Nwora (PF)	Ques Fri	Thigh - 07 / 06 / 21	10-8	7-9-2	+ -
Nwora is bothered by a left thigh contusion, and it is unclear if he will partake in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals versus the Hawks.
Donte DiVincenzo (SG)	out for season	Foot - 28 / 05 / 21	12-8	8-10-2	+ -
DiVincenzo suffered a tendon injury in his left foot and will miss the remainder of the season.
Jeff Teague (PG)	Ques Thurs	Knee - 21 / 05 / 21	13-10	10-11-2	+ -
Teague is nursing a sore left knee, and it is unknown if he will dress for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Heat.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo (SF)	Mid June	Knee - 17 / 05 / 21	14-10	10-12-2	+ -
Antetokounmpo is battling right patella tendon soreness, and it is anticipated that he will be out until the middle of June.
Khris Middleton (SF)	Ques Sat	Ankle - 16 / 05 / 21	14-10	10-12-2	+ -
Middleton is dealing with left ankle soreness, and it is unclear if he will take the court against the Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round.
P.J. Tucker (SF)	Prob Fri	Neck - 06 / 05 / 21	14-15	14-13-2	+ -
Tucker exited the previous contest with a neck and jaw injury, but it is projected that he will dress for Friday's clash with the Rockets.
Khris Middleton (SF)	Prob Fri	Knee - 05 / 05 / 21	15-15	14-14-2	+ -
Middleton missed the last game with right knee soreness, but it is likely that he will take on the Rockets on Friday.

Brooklyn

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Alize Johnson (SF)	Ques Sat	Ankle - 30 / 05 / 21	6-3	2-6-1	+ -
Johnson is bothered by a left ankle sprain, and it has yet to be determined if he will dress for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference second round versus the Bucks.
Jeff Green (SF)	Prob Sun	Foot - 25 / 05 / 21	8-3	3-7-1	+ -
Green is managing a left foot strained plantar fascia, but it projected that he will be available for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second round versus the Bucks.
Landry Shamet (PG)	Prob Sat	Ankle - 21 / 05 / 21	9-3	4-7-1	+ -
Shamet is bothered by a left ankle sprain, but he is expected to face the Celtics in the Eastern Conference first round.
Joe Harris (SG)	Prob Sat	Hip - 12 / 05 / 21	12-3	5-9-1	+ -
Harris is dealing with hip soreness, but he is likely to be available for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round versus the Celtics.
Bruce Brown (PG)	Ques Tues	Face - 11 / 05 / 21	13-3	6-9-1	+ -
Brown is hampered by a facial contusion, and it is unknown if he will be in the lineup for Tuesday's tilt versus the Bulls.
Bruce Brown (PG)	Ques Sun	Knee - 26 / 04 / 21	16-7	8-14-1	+ -
Brown has missed the last three contests with right knee soreness, and it has yet to be determined if he will take on the Bucks on Sunday.
Alize Johnson (SF)	Out indefinitely	Illness - 23 / 04 / 21	17-8	8-16-1	+ -
Johnson is out of the lineup while going through the NBA's health and safety protocols, and there is no timetable for his return to action.
Nicolas Claxton (PF)	Out indefinitely	Illness - 19 / 04 / 21	18-9	9-17-1	+ -
Claxton is sidelined while going through the NBA's health and safety protocols, and it has yet to be established when he will return.
Reggie Perry (PF)	Out indefinitely	Illness - 19 / 04 / 21	18-9	9-17-1	+ -
Perry it out of commission while he is enrolled in the NBA's health and safety protocols, and it is unknown when he will return to the court.
Blake Griffin (PF)	Out Fri	Rest - 16 / 04 / 21	20-9	11-17-1	+ -
Griffin will not be in the lineup Friday versus the Hornets, as he will be given a day of rest.