Khris Middleton put Milwaukee on his back in the final minutes, scoring 10 of his 40 points down the stretch to rally the Bucks past Phoenix 109-103 on Wednesday to deadlock the NBA Finals.

Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who improved to an NBA-best 9-1 at home in the playoffs.

Milwaukee, which trailed by seven points early in the fourth quarter, closed the game on a 12-4 run in the last 2:07, with Middleton delivering 10 points in the span.

“We just ran sets that enabled me to get to my spots,” Middleton said. “Thankfully I hit some shots.

“That’s what that one was about, finding a way to win a game it seemed like we weren’t going to win to give us life and some momentum.”

Milwaukee equalized at 2-2 in the best-of-seven championship series with game five Saturday in Phoenix and game six Tuesday at Milwaukee.

“The only way we’re going to win this series is to get one on the road,” said Middleton. “It would be nice to get this next one.”

The Bucks, who dropped the first two games in Arizona, seek their first crown since 1971 while the Suns seek the first title in the club’s 53-year history.

AFP