The Bucks will finally play an NBA final. For several seasons, the Milwaukee team played the leading roles in the regular season without ever managing to achieve this domination at the time of the playoffs. After their victory in Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night (107-118), the Bucks clinched the title of Eastern Conference champion, their first since 1974. Starting Tuesday, they will meet in the final the Suns of Phoenix, Western Conference champions after beating the Los Angeles Clippers.
Deprived of Giannis, the Bucks rely on Khris Middleton
After a conference semifinals won in seven games, respectively against the Nets and the Sixers, Milwaukee and Atlanta delivered a hotly contested duel. It could have switched in favor of the Hawks in the fourth game due to the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks star, two-time MVP trophy winner in 2019 and 2020, feels discomfort in his left knee that still makes him uncertain heading into the final.
If the strong Greek winger focuses all the attention in the team, the latter could count on other elements to overcome the Hawks like Khris Middleton who appears as the hero of the qualification in the final. Last night, the winger scored 32 points including 22 in the only third quarter in which Milwaukee took the lead. While Atlanta provisionally came back to six points with less than four minutes to go, the Southerners failed to gain the advantage and suffered particularly from the poor form of their star player, Trae Young, who failed to take the lead. ‘scored just 4 baskets out of 17 attempts.
A second coronation fifty years after the first
Although the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo is not guaranteed, the Bucks will have other arguments to make to defeat the Suns, scorers in the first round of the Lakers, the defending champions. In addition to his loyal soldier Khris Middleton, Milwaukee will also be able to count on his old briscards PJ Tucker and Brook Lopez. Opposite, Phoenix will rely on the excellent tandem formed by the experienced Chris Paul and the young and fiery Devin Booker.
The scenario would be beautiful for the Bucks who dream of a second NBA title, fifty years after the first coronation of the franchise which was then led by the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the top scorer in the history of the northern league -american.
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