NBA Finals 2021: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s phenomenal performance lifts the Milwaukee Bucks to the title
The Milwaukee Bucks are the new NBA Champions after their win over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 ( 98-105). This is the first NBA title in 50 years for the Bucks. To beat the Suns, Giannis Antetokounmpo had put up a dominant performance as he compiled 50 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. However, the most surprising thing about Giannis’ performance last night was his free throws as he was almost perfect, he finished the game with 17 out-of 19 FT made.
To win the Championship, the Milwaukee Bucks needed their franchise player to be at his best, and he was even though he certainly played injured after his knee injury in the Eastern Conference Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered incredible performances to help lifts his team to the NBA title. In the series, the “Greek Freak” recorded 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.8 blocks and 61.8 FG%. He led remarkably his team in this post-season and there was no doubt about who should win the Finals MVP Trophy.
After his wonderful performance in Game 6, Giannis became the first player in NBA history to record 40+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks since 1973-1974. Therefore, the “Greek Freak” became as well the third player to win the regular-season MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in his career after Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. Now, Giannis Antetokounmpo engraved his name for good in the history books.
After the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo reflected on his path that led him to an NBA Championship:
” My mom was selling stuff in the street, and now I’m here sitting at the top of the top. I’m extremely blessed.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Undoubtedly, the Milwaukee Bucks can thanks Giannis for his huge work, although it is important to acknowledge the importance of players like Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday the two other players composing the Bucks Big 3, they really helped to turn around the series after Game 3 when Jrue Holiday took personally care of CP3 limiting his impact on the game of his team. On the other hand, Middleton was the second offensive option of his team and supported extraordinarily Giannis on the offensive end. After the Big 3 there are the essential role players that considerably helped the team like Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez, PJ Tucker and Pat Connaughton.
On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns, this defeat will be very painful and hard to forget as they led the series by 2-0. Nonetheless, no one imagines that they would perform this great and be at this stage at the beginning of the season. This team is young and for their first Play-Offs, they reached the NBA Finals. Devin Booker was nothing less than amazing in the post-season and we can now just hope for him that the Suns and he will be able to reproduce this kind of performance in the future.
In the case of Chris Paul, this loss in the NBA Finals will be hard to forget as he waited 16 years before reaching the Finals, after a wonderful Game 1, the influence on the game of the “Point God” slowly decreased as he multiplicated the turnovers. He was most certainly weakened by injuries, however, we all know that at the end of the season no one is fully in shape. He declared after the game:
“Great group of guys, hell of a season. But this one is gonna hurt for a while. Everybody in that locker room knows we had enough, but it wasn’t enough. We grew all season long, nobody expected us to be where we are except for us.”
Chris Paul
Read more: https://www.nba.com/news/giannis-antetokounmpo-saves-best-for-last-leads-bucks-to-first-nba-title-in-50-years ; https://www.nba.com/news/giannis-wins-2021-finals-mvp
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