NBA Finals 2021- Bucks vs. Suns: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee win franchise's second title
The NBA has a new champion. The Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a tough 105-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 on Tuesday night to win their first title in 50 years. The Bucks fell behind 2-0 in the series, but they never gave up. Instead, they dug deep and won four straight games to lay claim to the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds and five blocked shots. It was the third game of this series with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds for Antetokounmpo, a dominant debut finals performance that takes its place among some of the game’s greatest. He shot 16 for 25 from the field and made an unbelievable 17-of-19 free throw – a spectacular showing for any shooter, let alone one who was hitting just 55.6% in the postseason and was ridiculed for it at times.
“People told me I can’t make free throws and I made them tonight. And I’m a freaking champion,” Antetokounmpo said.
For his efforts, just three weeks after suffering a hyperextension of his left knee, Antetokounmpo won Finals MVP. He joins Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to win that award, regular-season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
Chris Paul scored 26 points to end his first NBA finals appearance in his 16th season. Devin Booker added 19 points but shot just 8 for 22 and missed all seven three-pointers after scoring 40 points in each of the last two games.
“There’s just a pain that goes with your season being over,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “But I’ve never dealt with this and so I’m grateful like I said, but I know this is going to hurt for a while.”
Antetokounmpo's play was the main reason that the Bucks were able to pull out a win in Game 6, but he didn't do it alone. One player that deserves a ton of credit for helping to propel the Bucks to their first title in a half-century is Bobby Portis. While some of Milwaukee's starters not named Giannis were struggling to score in the second half, Portis came in off of the bench and provided the Bucks with a huge spark. Portis finished the game with 16 points on 60 percent shooting from the floor, including six in the fourth quarter that helped to seal the win. Portis has quickly become a fan favorite in Milwaukee after joining the team last November, and he showed why in Game 6.
