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Milwaukee came into this game on a three game winning streak, hoping to make it four straight. A win in this one would clinch the franchise’s first NBA Championship in 50 years. As a franchise, they were making only their third ever NBA Finals appearance, and their first since 1974. Back then, they had a star center named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who helped them to elevate enough to reach the NBA Finals. Today, the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as “The Greek Freak.”
The Bucks have been good for a few years now, and have been knocking on the door for a few seasons. But this year, they seemed to reach a new level, overcoming a dominant start by the Brooklyn Nets in the divisional round to survive that series, then outlasting the explosive Atlanta Hawks in order to reach the NFA Finals. Then, they once again fell behind 0-2 in this series at Phoenix, before storming back with two straight home wins, and then hanging on for a tough road win in Game 5. That gave them this opportunity to clinch the NBA title at home if they found a way to win.
Indeed, it sure looked like they were ready to win it all in the first quarter. They were in control, and they enjoyed a comfortable 29-16 lead. The home fans could feel it. Milwaukee was close to a title.
The Suns, however, quieted the raucous home fans for Milwaukee with a dominant second quarter. They overcame that double-digit deficit to seemingly take command of the game. By halftime, they were up, 47-42. Only the Milwaukee Bucks had managed to overcome a double digit lead in this series, and that was in their crucial Game 5 win. So this seemed to bode well for Phoenix.
In the third quarter, though, the Bucks began to play sharp again, and managed to tie the game up by the end of the quarter. In the fourth, however, they reasserted some measure of control, taking a lead. Time began to grow short for the Suns, and it seemed like they were not hitting their shots. The Bucks remained calm, cool, and collected enough to take advantage, and put the game out of reach in the final minutes, securing their first NBA Championship, and the first title for the franchise in 50 years.
Not surprisingly, Bucks Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo won the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award. He clearly deserved it, as the star of the team. In the deciding Game 6, he stayed on the floor and played for 42 of the 48 minutes, earning 50 points, getting 14 rebounds and 2 assists.
Guard Chris Paul led the scoring for the Suns with 26 points, with 5 assists and 2 rebounds. Ultimately, however, it was not quite enough to lift Phoenix past Milwaukee. Despite a fantastic season and playoff run, it ends in heartbreak. Personally, though, I hope the Suns stay together to make another championship run next season. Not sure how realistic that is or not, but yes, I definitely would love to see them stick together and get another chance next season.
After the game, in postgame interviews, he reminded everybody that he had promised to stay in Milwaukee with the Bucks until they had a championship level team. It was a promise that he kept, fulfilling it last night. He then took the opportunity to knock an annoying trend in the NBA, with stars leaving their teams to join so-called "superteams." Stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and James Harden.
“I couldn’t leave. There was a job that had to be finished,” Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like the bubble did not pay us justice. Give credit to the Miami Heat. They played great, but it did not pay us justice. Everybody was feeling homesick. We are a family-oriented team, wanted to see our families. But coming back, I was like, ‘This is my city. They trust me. They believe in me. They believe in us.’ Even when we lost … obviously I wanted to get the job done.
“But that’s my stubborn side. It’s easy to go somewhere and go win a championship with somebody else. It’s easy. I could go — I don’t want to put anybody on the spot — but I could go to a super team and just do my part and win a championship. But this is the hard way to do it, and this is the way to do it and we did it.”
Frankly, I think that Antetokounmpo has a point there. One of the reasons that I actually took interest and watched some of the NBA Finals last year is that there were no superteams involving LeBron James, and that the Los Angeles Lakers - a franchise that always seems to manage to get these so-called "superteams" that give them championship hype, and too often championships outright, were nowhere to be seen in these Finals. I very much enjoyed the Toronto Raptors winning the NBA title two years ago, and I enjoyed the NBA Finals between two teams that were basically new teams on the scene in terms of championship success this year. If we have something similar last year, you bet that I'll take interest. If, on the other hand, it's the Lakers again? No thanks. Won't want, won't cover it here on "The Charbor Chronicles," either. Just a total lack of interest. I can tune into repeats anytime that I like, and since the early eighties, I have seen the Lakers win more than enough championships for my taste.
But I digress...
Antetokounmpo said that they deserved this title.
Yes, they did. And what a great victory, totally earned and deserved!
Below is the source for the quote by Antetokounmpo used above was taken from this New York Post article from earlier today:
Giannis Antetokounmpo slams super teams after winning title with Bucks by Evan Orris, July 21, 2021:
https://nypost.com/2021/07/21/giannis-antetokounmpo-slams-super-teams-after-winning-title-with-bucks/
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