Bucks clinch playoff spot, 6th in East with blowout win over Nets

The Milwaukee Bucks have gone from zero to hero in just one year.

After winning a league-low 15 games last season, the Bucks captured the sixth seed in the East with a landslide 96-73 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

The Bucks leaned on their third-ranked defense, as they have all season. The Nets came in scorching hot, averaging 107.9 points per game over their past nine contests. But Brooklyn struggled to generate anything against Milwaukee's long-limbed defenders, shooting just 32.5 percent from the floor.

The Nets' starters combined for just 38 points on just 26.5 percent shooting. Point guard Deron Williams shot just 1-for-11 from the field, while forward Thaddeus Young managed nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.

For the Bucks, the sharpshooting combination of O.J. Mayo, Ersan Ilyasova and Khris Middleton led the way. They combined for 54 points on 58.3 percent shooting to pace Milwaukee's offense.

Giannis Antetokounmpo also turned in a tremendous all-around performance. The "Greek Freak" was productive, as always, on defense, but chipped in with 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes. He was a plus-16 during that time.

The Bucks' win locks them into the sixth seed, which currently has them facing the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs - although there's a decent chance the Chicago Bulls could overtake Toronto for third.

Brooklyn's loss, meanwhile, leaves them just a half-game up on the Indiana Pacers for eighth in the East. The Pacers play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.