Jrue Holiday and Mike Budenholzer answer questions about Khris Middleton's absence after the Bucks' Game 7 loss to the Celtics.

BOSTON -- To successfully defend their NBA championship, the Milwaukee Bucks knew they needed a combination of strong player performances, health and, perhaps, a little bit of luck.

But the absence of forward Khris Middleton loomed large throughout their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Celtics and was ultimately too difficult to overcome as Milwaukee's season ended with a 109-81 loss in Game 7 on Sunday.

Boston made 53 more 3-pointers than Milwaukee in the series, which according to research by ESPN Stats & Information, is by far the largest gap in a single series in NBA postseason history.

Without Middleton, who sprained the MCL in his left knee during Game 2 of their first-round matchup with the Chicago Bulls, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo did his best to carry the team through the series.

And Antetokounmpo became the first player in league history to score 200 points, grab 100 rebounds and dish out 50 assists during a single series.

Everything was heavy," Antetokounmpo said with a smile after the game.

Yet, after the game, Antetokounmpo said he enjoyed competing in this series against Boston despite coming up short because of the effort his team gave each game.

Aside from Antetokounmpo and Holiday, Pat Connaughton was the only other Bucks player who averaged double-digit scoring (10.3), although Bobby Portis averaged 9.9 points per game in the series