The Milwaukee Bucks‘ 50-year championship drought is over after they escaped past the Phoenix Suns in a 105-98 Game 6 victory Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum in the NBA Finals.
The Bucks were crowned this year’s NBA champions after yet another hard-fought battle between themselves and the Suns as Milwaukee looked to close out the series and earn their first title in a half-century.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
The Suns made the Bucks work for everything they earned throughout Game 6, yet Milwaukee still prevailed and they ended the season on top and reached sports immortality in the process.
So without further ado, let’s break down what all stood out from the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 6 victory that helped them become NBA champions.
Bobby Portis gives the Milwaukee Bucks the much-needed lift they needed off the bench in their Game 6 win
It was far from a pretty or highly executed game on both sides, but it was Bobby Portis that served to give the Bucks the emotional lift they needed to reach the summit last night.
Portis finished with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting (2-for-5 from three, 2-for-2 from the free throw line), three rebounds and a block in over 22-and-a-half minutes of run.
By the time the Bucks’ super sub stepped foot on the floor, Milwaukee was in need of his scoring punch, toughness and improved defensive effort to keep pace and eventually fend off Phoenix.
It was Portis’ shooting, shotmaking and finishing around the basket that proved essential for Bucks shot creators as they looked for an outlet in the face of the Suns’ extended defensive pressure all night long. While Portis has his deficiencies on the defensive end, he continued to hold up well on that side of the floor by working hard when defending in space and recovering back to the rim, despite finishing with five fouls.
No one knows what the future holds for Portis, though it feels safe to say he’s proven more than enough that he will decline his minimal player option for next year. Even so, Portis cemented himself as a significant contributor that helped carry the Bucks to an NBA title and will forever be serenaded with ‘BOB-BY” chants whenever he steps foot in Milwaukee for the rest of his life.
Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton make timely plays in Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 6 win
While Portis was doing the heavy lifting from the Bucks’ bench, Milwaukee needed all they could get from both Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, who had considerable more struggles from their performances in the Bucks’ Game 5 win.
Starting with Holiday, Jrue fell into another offensive slump just as he has done throughout this series and playoff run overall. More concerning was the poor decision-making Holiday showed with the ball in his hands and when looking to distribute the ball to others early on.
However, Holiday’s defensive presence was as impactful as it always has been and he was primarily stationed on Devin Booker throughout the night. While Chris Paul found his rhythm again with Holiday off of him, the same couldn’t be said for Booker, especially as the game wore on.
Despite the poor shooting and early miscues, Holiday fought through it all and helped steer the ship. He finished with 12 points on 4-for-19 shooting (2-for-7 from deep), 11 assists, nine rebounds, four steals and three turnovers in over 46 minutes of run.
As for Middleton, it wasn’t a matter of missing shots, though he was a little too careless in his playmaking at times. Instead, foul trouble throughout the first half nearly derailed his performance and while head coach Mike Budenholzer stuck with him after picking up his third foul, the Bucks didn’t to Middleton during that late stretch at the end of the first half.
So while Middleton had his hands tied in terms of having the keys to the Bucks’ offense, especially with Antetokounmpo going off throughout the second half, it was Middleton who hit the decisive shot with 56.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Middleton wound up posting 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting (1-for-4 from three, 4-for-4 from the free throw line), five rebounds, five assists, five turnovers and four steals in over 40-and-a-half minutes of run.
It was far from a perfect night for both Holiday and Middleton, but they fought through their struggles to enjoy the greatest victory of the playing careers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo carries Milwaukee Bucks to Game 6 win and NBA championship
Without any doubt, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered the signature performance of his eight-year NBA career Tuesday night that catapulted him to his first NBA title.
Antetokounmpo finished with 50 points on 16-for-25 shooting (1-for-3 from long range, 17-for-19 from the free throw line), 14 rebounds, six turnovers, five blocks, two assists in nearly 42-and-a-half minutes of burn.
While the two-time MVP had to feel his way out of the proceedings early on, it didn’t take long for Antetokounmpo to get warmed up and get downhill when primarily attacking the likes of Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder. The combination of ferocity, strength and deft touch Antetokounmpo showed around the basket extended out from the basket as Antetokounmpo and he continued hitting his turnaround shots like the following over Crowder midway through the third.
With the aggression he showed in driving down the lane, Antetokounmpo enjoyed many trips to the free throw line and he put aside his previous free throw shooting struggles by going 17-for-19 on the night.
Doing all of that while giving his maximum effort on every play and trying to block everything at the rim, Antetokounmpo surely laid it all out there on the line with glory on the line. Now with a title and Finals MVP under his belt, Antetokounmpo’s basketball legacy grows only more complete.
Thus ends the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2020-21 NBA season and it will certainly go down as one for the record books. Thank you all to those that read and checked in Behind the Buck Pass throughout the year and there will be plenty more to cover with the Bucks having reached the pantheon.