By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
“I’ll never leave the team and the city of Milwaukee till we build the team to a championship level team..” This was what Giannis Antetokounmpo tweeted on June 17, 2014, 12 months after he got drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Seven years following that tweet, Giannis fulfilled his promise of a championship to the club that trusted that lanky boy from a Greek second division team, the city that embraced him from day 1 and the fans that always had the utmost faith in him that he will be the one to end the team’s half-century old drought.
The Greek Freak had a legendary performance for the ages, posting 50 points (with 17-19 free throws), 14 rebounds and five blocks as the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 105 – 98 in Game 6 of the Finals to win the series 4-2 and claim the second championship in the history of the franchise and first since 1971.
Antetokounmpo completed phenomenal run of 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 blocks in the six matches vs. Phoenix, that earned him the much-deserved Finals MVP. Reminder: he was recovering from a hyperextended knee.
His Game 6 output and overall accomplishment was nothing less than historic: He tied Bob Pettit for the most points in a potential title-clinching game while becoming the only player with season MVP, Finals MVP, DPOY and All-Star Game MVP after Michael Jordan. Giannis though is the only one who has achieved all these in just 26 years of age.
“I hope I can give people around the world, hope it can be done,” Giannis later said in the post-game presser while holding the championship and Finals MVP trophies. “My mom was selling stuff in the street, and now I’m sitting here at the top of the top. If I never sit at this table again, I’ll be fine with it.”
Giannis’ superhuman efforts on both ends of the floor were the reason the Bucks went up 100 – 92 with 2:43 to play after the two teams opened the fourth quarter tied at 77. When the Suns scored four unanswered points, Khris Middleton answered with a jumper and a pair of free throws to keep Milwaukee at a safe distance while time was running out for Phoenix.
Middleton finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists, Bobby Portis scored 16 and Jrue Holiday completed the game with 11 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds while having a tremendous defensive impact.
For Phoenix, Chris Paul had 26 points plus five assists and Devin Booker dropped 19 points and dished out five dimes of his own. The Suns reacted after the initial 16 – 29 start of Milwaukee to close halftime up 47 – 42. The two teams continued trading blows and in the final period Giannis’ dominance just took over.