(The Sports Xchange) – Rookie guard Bojan Bogdanovic hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 85 seconds left in overtime, and the Brooklyn Nets evened their Eastern Conference quarter-final series with a 120-115 overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
The best-of-seven series is tied at two games apiece heading to Game five today in Atlanta. The Washington Wizards, who swept their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, await the Hawks-Nets winner.
Point guard Deron Williams led the Nets with 35 points. He shot 13-for-25 from the floor overall, and added seven assists and five rebounds. Williams made seven three pointers, three of them in the fourth quarter when the Nets rallied from an eight-point deficit.
Williams hit clutch shots until he missed a turnaround in the final seconds of regulation that would have won it. The Hawks were unable to get a shot off on their final possession of regulation, and the game went to overtime tied at 104.
Atlanta held a 113-111 advantage when forward Joe Johnson found Bogdanovic alone in the left corner for a three-pointer that put Brooklyn on top.
The Hawks had several chances, but guard Kyle Korver missed three three-pointers in the final 45 seconds.
– – –
Bucks 94, Bulls 88
Guard Michael Carter-Williams compiled 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks held on for a 94-88 win against the Chicago Bulls in Game five of their Eastern Conference quarter-final playoff series.
The Bucks staved off elimination and trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Game six is set for Thursday night in Milwaukee.
Forward Pau Gasol scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Bulls. Guard Jimmy Butler added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago, who trailed for the entire second half.
The Bulls narrowed the deficit to 86-83 with 4:45 remaining in the fourth quarter after back-to-back jump shots by guard Derrick Rose and Gasol.
Milwaukee responded with a jump shot by Carter-Williams and a slam dunk by forward John Henson to re-establish a seven-point lead.
Chicago struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the length and athleticism of Milwaukee’s defenders. The Bulls shot 34.4 percent (31-for-90) from the field. Rose scored 13 points on 5-for-20 shooting.
Milwaukee shot 42.4 percent (36-for-85) from the field. Guard Khris Middleton contributed 21 points.