The Associated PressEast finalists Bucks, Hawks seeking to end long droughts
Milwaukee won its lone NBA title in 1971 and last reached the Finals in 1974. The Hawks won their only championship in 1958 and lost in the Finals in 1957, 1960 and 1961 - and that's when they were still playing in St. Louis. ''This is obviously a great chance, a great opportunity for us,'' Bucks center Brook Lopez said.
The Associated Press76ers hoping Ben Simmons can fix his game in the offseason
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Ben Simmons clanked one free throw off the back of the rim, so he took a breather, fist-bumped Joel Embiid, paced, walked back to the line and bonked another shot. Hey, the 76ers still led the Hawks by 23 points at that point, Game 5 seemed in the bag, so what's two missed free throws? Just 1 second in game time later, Simmons was back at the line -- Atlanta using a Hack-A-Ben strategy to its advantage in the playoffs -- and Simmons swished one to the roar of the crowd.
- The Associated Press
Bucks, Hawks begin battle for Eastern crown
Two teams that were supposed to be home watching a Brooklyn-Philadelphia showdown in the Eastern Conference finals will begin a duel of their own when the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks visit the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks for Game 1 on Wednesday night. The best-of-seven series that will determine the East's representative in the NBA Finals pits franchises that have split four all-time playoff series, with none occurring past the first round or since 2010. The Bucks were the first to punch their ticket, riding Giannis Antetokounmpo's 40-point night to a 115-111 overtime victory in Brooklyn over the second-seeded Nets on Saturday.
