The Milwaukee Bucks proved they were enough to end the Eastern Conference Finals without their best players.

The Bucks are now facing a quick turnaround before Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. It is not clear whether this gives Giannis Antetokounmpo enough time to recover from his overstretched left knee, which prevents him from participating in the final two games of the series against the Atlanta Hawks.

“It’s just a daily thing,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said after 118-107 victory over the Hawks to give Milwaukee a 4-2 series victory.

“We will update it in due course. The conversation between him and me is a bit private, and we will see where he is every day.”

Budenholzer said he was impressed by the flexibility the Bucks showed when they won back-to-back matches without two-time MVP Antetokounmpo.

Chris Middleton, who stood with Antetokounmpo, scored Milwaukee’s first 16 points in the second half and led the Bucks with 32 points. Juholidi had 27 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds and 4 steals.

Antetokounmpo stays on the Bucks bench and is very active, sometimes moving to the court when communicating with teammates. Budenholzer said he is worried that the star may cause a technical foul.

Holiday said the players were encouraged because the star they couldn’t play with them won the victory.

“Support him,” Holiday said. “I mean, Giannis is a unique person. We obviously all see his basketball talent, but as a person, he is unique. In my opinion, this is what we have done in the past two games. One of the most important things for him is to fight for him, back to back and hold the fort when he is injured and absent.”

Hollid added that taking a place in the final without Antetokounmpo “shows that we are a real team.”

The reward is Milwaukee’s first entry into the NBA Finals since 1974. Milwaukee won the only championship in 1971 and lost in the 1974 Finals.

Antetokounmpo is the center of the Bucks’ efforts to build a championship contender. Without him on the floor let the celebration lose something.

Budenholzer said: “Not being able to participate in the last two games was bittersweet for him.

The Bucks listed Antetokounmpo as a suspicious player before announcing that he would not participate in the game. For the second consecutive game, Bobby Portis started at the forward position.

“Of course I want him to be with us, but he is still with us,” Middleton said. “On the bench, talking to us during the game, he is still a part of it.”

The Bucks entered the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Although they both set the best record in the NBA regular season, in the past two seasons, they have failed to reach the NBA Finals.

“Like any team in the league, when this team can’t advance and can’t move on, it’s hurt, it’s tough,” Budenholzer said.

The Bucks won the playoff series against Miami, Brooklyn and Atlanta, ending the team’s long NBA Finals drought.

Antetokounmpo and Middleton are veterans of the Bucks. They have experienced disappointment in the playoffs in the past two years.

“To be honest, it’s a long journey, but it’s a great journey,” Middleton said. “It’s worth it.”

4:05

Before Middleton took over the second half on Saturday, the Bucks led only 47-43 after a sloppy first half. After halftime, he scored 13 points in a row, including two three-pointers, extending the lead to 60-43. After Atlanta’s Tre Young shot, Middleton made three more.

Middleton said his motivation is to “stay in the moment. Don’t think about the situation. Don’t think about what game this is. Just stay in the moment.”

This is the leadership the Bucks need to reach the Finals without their biggest star.

“It just shows the courage of our team,” PJ Tucker said.

After the game, the players all wore NBA finals caps, but no champagne came out of the locker room.

“No,” Tucker said before explaining, “We haven’t done anything yet.”