MILWAUKEE — Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points and the Milwaukee Bucks punched their ticket to the playoffs with a 96-73 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Sunday afternoon at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Owners of the NBA's worst record a year ago, the Bucks will head into the postseason with the sixth-seed in the East.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, will have to sweat out a few more days before making any postseason plans.

The Nets' loss, coupled with a victory by Boston, leaves Brooklyn in the eighth spot in the East, a half-game above ninth-place Indiana which hosts Oklahoma City later Sunday.

Milwaukee shot 57 percent out of the chute to take a 26-24 lead through one and maintained the two-point lead at the break after both teams went 7-for-25 from the field in the second.

An 8-0 run out of halftime made it a 10-point game. Ilyasova had six during the run and finished with 13 in the quarter and Milwaukee pushed the lead to 20 before late in the quarter.

After hitting nine of 20 shots in the first quarter, Brooklyn struggled the rest of the afternoon. The Nets finished 27-for-83 from the field and to make matters worse, turned the ball over 21 times which Milwaukee turned into 17 points.

Center Brook Lopez led the Nets with 12 point and 10 rebounds. Guard Jarrett Jack added 11.

Milwaukee also got 16 points from shooting guard Khris Middleton, who missed both of his 3-point attempts but knocked down 7 of 11 from the field and dished out seven assists.

Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo also finished with seven assists to go along with nine rebounds and 13 points.

Shooting guard O.J. Mayo had 17 off the bench and point guard Michael Carter-Williams added 12 for the Bucks, who shot 49 percent from the field and hit six of 20 from beyond the arc.

NOTES: The Bucks came into the game looking to lock down the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. A Milwaukee victory or a loss by Boston or Indiana would clinch the team's first playoff berth in two seasons and third in the last five. ... The Nets had won 10 of their previous 13 games and began the day tied with Boston for seventh in the East, two games behind Milwaukee with three to play, including Sunday. The Celtics hold a tie-breaker over Brooklyn, which would get the eighth seed should the Nets and Boston finish tied. ... A Brooklyn victory Sunday would clinch a split in the season series - which includes two triple-overtime contests. ... Milwaukee is 12-3 against Atlantic Division opponents this season. ... Before Sunday Nets C Brook Lopez was averaging 26.2 points on 59.2 percent shooting and 9.6 rebounds over his previous 13 games.