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Giannis Antetokounmpo had a legendary performance in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the second championship in franchise history. He also earned NBA Finals MVP award after a tremendously dominant outing in the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns.
Antetokounmpo surely had the greatest game of his NBA career as the two-time NBA MVP even made 17 of his 19 free throws in order to complete the Milwaukee Bucks' victory and the second NBA championship in franchise history (1971).
Players with the most points scored in an NBA Finals series-clinching game
At 26 years of age, the 'Greek Freak' has virtually completed his NBA resume, adding the championship and NBA Finals MVP to a list of achievements that includes two NBA MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award and an All-Star Game MVP.
Moreover, his 50-point outing matched the all-time record for most points scored in an NBA title-clinching game.
In this article, we will take a look at the five players with the most points scored in a series-clinching game of the NBA Finals.
Without further ado, let us start.
#5 Shaquille O'Neal - 2000 NBA Finals, Game 6
Speaking of dominance, Shaquille O'Neal was simply an unstoppable force for the LA Lakers at the start of the 2000s era. O'Neal led the LA Lakers, alongside Kobe Bryant, to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002.
However, Shaq made it to the list due to his performance in Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals against Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers. With the LA Lakers up 3-2, O'Neal won his first NBA championship after putting up 41 points and 12 rebounds to clinch the title and earn his first NBA Finals MVP.
O'Neal had three games of at least 40 points an 10 rebounds in the 2000 NBA Finals, a feat only matched by one other player in NBA history (Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2021 NBA Finals).
#4 Magic Johnson - 1980 NBA Finals, Game 6
Magic Johnson is one of the few NBA legends who were able to find success quickly into their NBA careers, and he did it fantastically in the 1980 NBA Finals, when the LA Lakers defeated Julius Erving's Phialdelphia 76ers.
But that title was not straightforward for the LA Lakers, as the team's dominant scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, suffered an ankle injury and had to miss Game 6 at Philadelphia.
Abdul-Jabbar was averaging 33 points and 13 rebounds in the series at that point, but it was all about Johnson's outing in Game 6. Playing center position, Johnson added 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in Game 6 to lead the LA Lakers to the NBA title and earn an NBA Finals MVP as a 20-year-old rookie.
Also Read: 5 Reasons why Milwaukee Bucks won 105-98 against Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of 2021 NBA Finals
#3 Michael Jordan - 1998 NBA Finals, Game 6
Arguably the greatest single-game performance in NBA Finals history, Michael Jordan's Game 6 against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals will always be remembered by diehard NBA fans.
At age 35, 'MJ' put up 45 points against the Utah Jazz on the road to cling to the sixth NBA championship in Chicago Bulls history and the sixth of his NBA career. Completing the Bulls' second 'three-peat', Jordan was heroic in the final minute of Game 6, as he scored four points and even made a big defensive play between his two baskets to seal the match in Chicago's favor.
Moreover, Jordan capped his effort off with the game-winning jumper to provide NBA fans with an iconic moment in his final game with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan went on to win the sixth NBA Finals MVP of his career and those 45 points were then the biggest performance in an NBA Finals-clinching game since the NBA-ABA merger (in terms of points).
#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo - 2021 NBA Finals, Game 6
Giannis Antetokounmpo was as dominant as any other player seen in NBA Finals history when he took down the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals game.
He had one of the greatest performances ever in a single NBA Finals game by scoring 50 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking five shots in the game.
'The Greek Freak' even made 17 of his 19 free throws that night and also became the third player (after Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon) to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year award and NBA Finals MVP award during his NBA career.
Giannis ended up averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and five assists per game in the six-game affair.
#1 Bob Pettit - 1958 NBA Finals, Game 6
The 1958 NBA Finals series is not talked about as much as it should be, given it was Bill Russell's only time playing in the NBA Finals and going out without the trophy in his hands.
Russell played in 12 NBA Finals in his 13-year NBA career and he only lost once. It mainly happened because Russell and the Boston Celtics had Bob Pettit in front. The St. Louis Hawks' superstar, the first winner of the NBA MVP award, averaged 29.3 points and 17 rebounds per game in the six-game series.
However, the biggest moment came in the potential NBA title-clinching Game 6, where Pettit put up 50 points and 19 rebounds to lead a one-point win for the Hawks to stop Russell's Boston Celtics.
Pettit's 50 points in an NBA title-clinching game are now tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo's 50 points in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals for most in such games in league history.
Also read: “We’re gonna take this hurt and bring it into the summer to get better” - Devin Booker confident in the Phoenix Suns stepping it up after 2021 NBA Finals loss
