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Bucks avoid elimination again

Published:Tuesday | April 28, 2015 | 12:55 PM
AP
Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol (right) blocks the shot of Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams during the first half in Game Five of the NBA basketball playoffs on Monday night in Chicago.

CHICAGO (AP):

Michael Carter-Williams made 22 points and eight assists and Khris Middleton scored 21 points as the Milwaukee Bucks avoided elimination again with a 94-88 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game Five of their first-round NBA playoff series on Monday night.

With a 3-2 lead, the Bulls will try to close it out again tomorrow at Milwaukee. No team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA postseason series.

In other playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 120-115 in overtime to level their series and the Portland Trail Blazers avoided elimination with a 99-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Bucks regrouped after a nine-point lead dwindled to three and they hung on again after a seven-point lead shrunk to four with just over a minute remaining.

Carter-Williams hit 10 of 15 shots while outplaying Derrick Rose. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 points and reserve O.J. Mayo added 10 for the Bucks. Pau Gasol had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago, but Rose was five of 20 from the field and missed all seven three-point attempts. He committed six of his team's 13 turnovers. Butler scored 20 points, but shot five of 21.

even series

In New York, Deron Williams rebounded from two dismal games with 35 points as the Nets evened their series against the Hawks at two games each.

The Nets, just 38-44 in the regular season, won the second straight in the series and moved two victories from becoming the sixth No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 - only the fourth since the first round became best-of-seven.

Jeff Teague had 20 points and 11 assists and DeMarre Carroll added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks, who host Game Five today.

Portland's Damian Lillard scored 32 points as the Trail Blazers rallied to deny the Grizzlies their first-ever playoff sweep after Memphis led by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter. LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Portland.

Game Five is today in Memphis. The winner of the series goes on to face the Golden State Warriors in the second round. Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 21 points. CJ McCollum added 18 points for the Blazers, who snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Grizzlies - including all four regular-season meetings.