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The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 105-98 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the 2021 championship at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo had the game of his life, scoring 50 points and hauling down 14 rebounds.
It was a masterful performance from Antetokounmpo, who gave his all in this game when most of his teammates were missing their shots. The Milwaukee Bucks needed every single one of his points, including his exquisite 17-of-19 free-throw shooting.
Both teams came out flat to start the game, but the Bucks eventually found their groove as the Phoenix Suns sputtered. The Suns caught up in the second quarter and even took the lead 47-42.
Nevertheless, it was the Milwaukee Bucks who were more persistent, determined and had a burst of energy at the end to finish strong. Down 0-2 to start the NBA Finals, the Bucks came roaring back to take the next four games to win the championship.
Here are five reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks are champions and why the Phoenix Suns lost in Game 6 of the NBA Finals:
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo carried the Milwaukee Bucks on his back
Antetokounmpo was the only one from the Milwaukee Bucks’ Big 3 to show up in the game. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday mostly shot blanks in Game 6, but the Greek Freak made up for their awful performances by willing his team to the win. He shook off Deandre Ayton all night, putting the Phoenix Suns big man in foul trouble and keeping him tentative on defense.
Not only was he a force on offense, Giannis was also a wall on defense, swatting away enemy missiles with five blocks on the night. He made the Phoenix Suns uncomfortable going inside the lane, and when they did enter the paint, his long arms made it difficult for them to shoot.
#2 Milwaukee Bucks owned the paint against the Phoenix Suns
The Milwaukee Bucks were the bigger team and they made it clear that they wouldn’t surrender the paint to their opponents in Game 6. The Bucks gobbled up missed shots from both ends of the floor to gain a 53-37 advantage on the boards.
They also outplayed the Phoenix Suns in scoring inside the shaded area with 50 points in the paint compared to 44 by the visitors.
#3 Jrue Holiday’s defense on Devin Booker
The Milwaukee Bucks' Jrue Holiday had a horrible shooting night, making just 4-of-19 from the field and 2-of-7 from three. But he made up for it by playing stellar defense on the Phoenix Suns’ hot-shooting Devin Booker.
Holiday stole the ball four times from the Suns and made every shot by Booker a difficult one. That’s why he had a +12 in plus/minus, better than Antetokounmpo’s (+10) and Middleton’s (+11).
#4 Milwaukee Bucks moved the ball
The Milwaukee Bucks made it a point to look for their teammates in Game 6. Though it was a struggle for both teams to score, the Bucks found seams in the defense, not just to make shots for themselves but also to give others an opportunity.
The Bucks had 20 assists, a small number mostly because of all the nervous energy the players had, but it was much better than the Phoenix Suns’ 14 total for the game.
#5 Phoenix Suns couldn’t make wide open shots
There were plenty of opportunities for the Phoenix Suns to take Game 6 on the road. But they bricked multiple wide-open shots from mid-range and three-point territory. There were miscues by the Milwaukee Bucks on defense that allowed the Suns to get good looks.
But the thought of losing the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks may have been at the back of their minds and the pressure may also have been too much for the players. For the Phoenix Suns, only Chris Paul, Cameron Payne and Frank Kaminsky shot better than 50 percent from the field. The rest were atrocious, contributing to 44.2 percent shooting from the field, including 24.0 percent from three.
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