The Milwaukee Bucks have joined the Phoenix Suns in this year’s NBA Finals after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 118-107.
This means we will have a finals that looks a little different. There’s no LeBron James, no Steph Curry, and no Kawhi Leonard.
This is a refreshing sight for the NBA fan, as it shines a light on other stars and other markets.
Milwaukee’s Best…
In the east this year. This is the Bucks first finals appearance since 1974 when they played in the west. The Bucks in 1974 lost in seven games to the Boston Celtics.
The Bucks also reached the finals in 1971 where they faced off against the Baltimore Bullets. 1971 was the only championship win in their entire existence.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the Finals MVP by averaging 27 points per game and 18.5 rebounds per game.
The Sun Once Again Rises In Phoenix
The Phoenix Suns have gone to the finals twice before this year. First in 1976 where the Suns fell to the Boston Celtics in six games.
Their second trip was in 1993, where the MVP that season, Charles Barkley, led the Suns to a 62-20.
Unfortunately for the Barkley-led suns, they met Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, where they lost the series in six games.
Now, in 2021, the Bucks and Suns are back in the finals. Both teams have dealt with injuries and some advisory in this year’s playoffs.
From Giannis Antetokounmpo injuring his knee and missing the past two games. The Suns have seen injuries from Devin Booker breaking his nose, to Chris Paul injuring his shoulder in game one of the first-round series.
Paul also had to miss two games from COVID to start the Western Conference Finals.
But that’s all in the past, at least for the Suns. Paul seems healthy and is playing. Booker is playing through his broken nose with not much of a problem.
The question is, will Giannis Antetokounmpo be ready to go for the Bucks in game one of this year’s finals?
Well, The Greek Freak has three days to rest and prepare for the finals which will be played on Tuesday, July 6 at 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.
