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Reigning NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo turns 27 years of age and the Greek superstar already has an amazing resume. Antetokounmpo is already a two-time NBA MVP winner and has a Defensive Player of the Year award, among a lot of other accolades.
Most importantly, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship, the second in franchise history after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson led them to a stunning 1970-71 season.
Antetokounpo's performance in the 2021 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns was certainly one for the ages, as he put up a dominant performance on both ends of the court and closed the series with an incredible 50-point performance.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's Top 3 performances in the NBA Playoffs
His exploits in last season's NBA Playoffs have cemented him as one of the greatest players of this generation. However, he had already proven himself to be a superstar. Now, many consider Giannis Antetokounmpo as the greatest player in the world, and the reigning NBA MVP is surely backing it up with another huge regular season.
But this article is purely about the NBA Playoffs, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was heavily criticized before, being unable to lead the Bucks to a big postseason run. He has successfully erased those opinions with an NBA title under his belt. Now, we will give you Giannis Antetokounmpo's Top 3 performances in the NBA Playoffs, a stage he's reached in six of his previous eight seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Without further ado, let us take a look.
#3 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals | Game 7
Arguably, Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Kevin Durant and James Harden's Brooklyn Nets cemented the Milwaukee Bucks' championship run in 2021, as it proved that the team had a new outlook in the NBA Playoffs and were heavy contenders for the Larry O'Brien trophy.
As expected, Giannis Antetokounmpo was heavily criticized early in the series, as the Bucks fell down 0-2 before returning home and grabbing a win in a Game 3 that seemed to be going in the Nets' favor.
After tying the series in Game 4, as the Nets lost Kyrie Irving due to injury, James Harden returned from a Game 1 injury for the fifth match, and Kevin Durant led the Nets to an unbelievable win.
Down 3-2 in the series, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton fought back and Milwaukee forced a Game 7. In the deciding game, the Milwaukee Bucks were looking for their first road win of the series, and Giannis Antetokounmpo played a massive role in the win due to his resilience and greatness.
The Greek Freak put up 40 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and a block while making 15 of his 24 attempts from the field, two of his six threes and 8 of his 14 free throws.
The Milwaukee Bucks' Big Three, with Jrue Holiday and Middleton alongside Giannis, played tremendously down the stretch of Game 7, and Antetokounmpo tied the game in overtime with a hook shot over Kevin Durant, right before Middleton hit the eventual game-winner.
#2 2021 NBA Finals | Game 3
After clearing the 'Big Three' Brooklyn Nets (which was really a Big Two) in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had missed the last two games of the ECF after injuring his knee in Game 4. He returned in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals with 20 points and 17 rebounds as he looked like he was testing his physical condition.
In Game 2, Antetokounmpo put up 42 points and 12 rebounds, but the Bucks fell to another 0-2 hole. In Game 3, as the series moved to Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo had another 40-point effort, and his 41-point, 13-rebound outing, along with his six assists led the Bucks to their first win of the series.
He converted 14 of his 23 field goals and 13 of 17 free throws in the 120-100 win.
With his second consecutive 40-point game, Giannis Antetokounmpo became the sixth player in league history to record consecutive 40-point efforts in the NBA Finals. With his performance, he also joined Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in NBA Finals history with consecutive games of 40 points and at least 10 rebounds.
From then on, the Milwaukee Bucks started a run that ended in Game 6, with the Larry O'Brien trophy in their hands.
#1 2021 NBA Finals | Game 6
At this point, every diehard fan of the NBA knows that Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals showcased one of the most impressive performances in league history, and it all came from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Coming off a 32-point night in Game 5, along with nine rebounds, six assists and an amazing dunk at the end of the game to lead the Bucks to a 3-2 series lead, Giannis Antetokoumpo exploded in Game 6 to secure the city's first NBA title in 50 years.
Giannis scored 50 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked five shots to lead the Bucks to a 105-98 win and close out the series. The 50-point effort matched the all-time record in a closeout game of the NBA Finals, previously set by the legendary Bob Pettit in the 1958 NBA Finals against Bill Russell's Boston Celtics.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's performances in the series earned him the NBA Finals MVP award. In Game 6, he worked tremendously well to keep his team ahead, and even made 17 of his 19 free throws, which was superb for him and the team.
Overall, Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, five assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in the NBA Finals, and made 61.8% of his field goals and 65.9% of his free throws in the series.
Guess the Lakers players!
