The Milwaukee Bucks are the new NBA champions. The franchise from Wisconsin won the trophy following a 105-98 win over Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the NBA Finals series.
Team LeBron 170 Team Durant 150, Flawless Giannis Wins the MVP Award
It is the Bucks’ first trophy since 1971 when they defeated the Baltimore Bullets in the finals, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. After two years of being among the top favorites for lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy, the team from Milwaukee finally got its hands on the prize.
Westbrook and Houston Rockets Utilize Milwaukee's Turnovers, Beat the Bucks 120-116
Milwaukee started the game strong, winning the opening quarter with 29-16. However, a strong response came from the other side, and the Suns trashed the hosts in the second period, 31-13. From that moment on, we’ve seen one hell of a battle at Fiserv Forum, but the home team ended up on the winning side in the end.
Giannis was marvelous with 50 points scored, notching the third 40+point match in the finals series and unanimously winning the NBA Finals MVP award.
The Greek Freak played 42 minutes, was shooting from the field 16-for-25, and made 17 of his 19 free throws, being the best in the clutch moments. Just to remind, that Giannis had around 55% of free-throw shooting throughout the series. Apart from that, the Bucks’ leader had 14 rebounds and five blocked shots, playing like possessed.
Giannis was the leading force on both ends of the floor, dominating in both defense and offense.
Khris Middleton ended with 17 points, having five dimes and boards, plus four steals, while Jrue Holiday added 12 points, but with massive productivity in other areas – 11 assists, nine rebounds, and four steals.
Bobby Portis was surprised off the bench, having 16 buckets, while Brook Lopez had 10 and 8 rebounds.
On the other side, Chris Paul finished the game with 26 points and five assists, 11-for-19 from the field, while Devin booker once again had a sub-standard performance, having 19 points and missing all of his seven three-point attempts. On top of that, Booker had six turnovers.
Jae Crowder would deliver a double-double with 15 points and 13 boards, plus four steals, doing his regular things. Deandre Ayton failed to step up, scoring just 12 points and posting 6 boards.
This puts an end to the 2021 season, one of the strangest ever. The campaign was shortened, neither of the super-teams managed to reach the finals, and we’ve seen some new faces around the league appearing.
Houston Rockets Advance to Western Semis, Win Game 7 Against OKC Thunder, 104-102
-->As for basketball, up next, we have the Olympic tournament in Tokyo.