It’s safe to say that concerns that Giannis Antetokounmpo’s season is finished are unfounded. After the Milwaukee Bucks won a pivotal Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns by a score of 120-100 on Sunday, the Suns’ advantage in the series was cut to 2-1 heading into Wednesday’s game.
It’s a must-win situation since no NBA team has ever come back from down 3-0 in a seven-game series and won. For the second game in a row, Antetokounmpo responded to the Bucks’ desperation with a superb performance, scoring 41 points while also grabbing 13 boards and dishing out six assists.
As a whole, he had a 14-for-23 performance from the field. Even more impressive was the fact that he made 13 of 17 attempts from the charity stripe.
When reminded that only one player in NBA Finals history had a longer stretch of 40-point games, Giannis Antetokounmpo shook his head.
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Antetokounmpo: “I’m not Michael Jordan.
Actually, he is the key piece the Milwaukee Bucks are missing in order to finally win a championship after 50 long years of trying. On Thursday, they can even the series with the Phoenix Suns if they win Game 4. (NZT).
Antetokounmpo has entered the elite company of LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, and Rick Barry with consecutive 40-point performances in the NBA Finals after tallying 42 and 41 points in the last two games.
With their 120-100 victory in Game 3, the Milwaukee Bucks brought the series score to 2-1 in favour of the Suns.
According to FanDuel, the Milwaukee Bucks were 4.5-point favourites over the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
Taking a Page out of Michael Jordan’s Playbook, Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Suns’ 1993 NBA Finals journey began the same way the Bucks’ 2021 matchup with the Suns’ 2021 version of themselves did: with two losses. However, both Michael Jordan and Giannis Antetokounmpo shared many additional commonalities in the finals.
Though he scored 42 points, the Bucks lost Game 2 despite the Greek Freak’s performance. In a similar vein, Michael Jordan’s 44 points in Game 3 (1993) against Charles Barkley and the Suns were not enough to save them. Four consecutive games in which Air Jordan scored 40 or more points maintained them ahead.
In Conclusion
A reporter questioned Giannis in the postgame interview if he thinks he can continue his winning streak from the previous round in this one. Giannis, ever calm and collected, continued, “I’m not Michael Jordan.
Four 40s in a row (or is it a straight too?) The horror on his face was palpable. And no, I’m not Michael Jordan. The only thing I care about at the moment is adding another. Nothing more than picking up the pieces and getting the job done.
