To everyone’s surprise, the Milwaukee Bucks ascended to the Eastern Conference Finals instead of the Brooklyn Nets. The Game 7 showdown ended with a 115-111 victory for the Bucks and it took their all to hold off the Nets as Kevin Durant put up another extraordinary performance.

Some cheered for the Bucks while others had nothing but mad respect for the Nets’ superstar. And why wouldn’t they? His scoring helped him surpass a record previously set by LeBron James.

Kevin Durant still comes out as the hero

The Milwaukee Bucks have plenty of reason to celebrate. This is the second time in three seasons that they have made it to the Conference Finals and their victory has only come as a surprise, because it was against the Nets. When the season started, Brooklyn was deemed the rightful heir to the 2020-21 title throne.

The ‘Big Three’ were supposed to bring James Harden his much-awaited and much-deserved championship. However, player injuries came in between and Milwaukee benefited from it. Harden fell first, because of his hamstring injury, and even though he returned, he wasn’t his complete self. Then Irving was benched because of his ankle and that left KD with the teams’ burden on his shoulder.

Only Kevin Durant could have made this series as intriguing as it was in spite of an incomplete roster. Like always, he finished as the top scorer and ended with 48 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.

As per Nick Wright, “KD not only set the record for most points in a Game 7 tonight, he also passed LeBron for most PPG in Game 7 history. LeBron is at 35ppg, KD is now at 36 ppg.”

READ MORE: LeBron James, Magic Johnson & Other NBA Players React to Milwaukee Bucks’ Mind Blowing Upset Over Brooklyn Nets

What’s next for Brooklyn Nets?

There is a lingering wonderment if the outcome would have been different provided their star players were healthy. While health is definitely a concern, there are other ways the Nets can improve for the next season.

The Brooklyn Nets won’t need any crazy trades because with KD, Harden, and Irving, they’re on the right track. The Nets should definitely try to keep their young star, Bruce Brown, who stepped up and continued to maintain his perimeter shooting.

Also, Dinwiddie coming back will be a huge boost for Brooklyn, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Bringing him in will mean having a sixth scoring man on the team. However, already having so many offensive pieces, they could trade Dinwiddie to bring in some defense. With the league going in a small-ball center direction, the best option would be to invest in a defensive wing.

WATCH THIS STORY: Most Laughable Chokes The NBA Has Ever Seen: Heat vs Mavericks, Knicks vs Pacers & More