NBA finals 2021 Game 6: Phoenix Suns v Milwaukee Bucks – live! – The Guardian

Giannis gives some love to Khris Middleton. “We got to do it again,” he says. He’s playing to the crowd and it’s very charming I have to say.

Again: even if the Suns had won (which they have not, despite a typo I made in an early update) Giannis deserved this.

He gets the MVP chants, which seem kind of extraneous now but you understand the enthusiasm.

Adam Silver gets booed to start off, which is how all commissioners should be treated by all fans. He gets the cheers by shouting out the 2021 World Championship Milwaukee Bucks.

That’s going to take some getting used to.

On the other hand, the Phoenix Suns have yet to win a championship in their franchise history. A brutal finish for a team that looked to be in command, especially for 36 year old Chris Paul who might have missed his last, best chance for a ring.

And it’s now time for the presentation of the Larry O’Brien trophy.

The Bucks last won a championship in 1971, which was also their only championship until now. So this is the cause for a huge celebration it’s just, man, I hope a large percentage of these folks are vaccinated. That’s all.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

I’m going to guess that he’s going to be the Finals MVP, but we’ll stick with the closing ceremonies for official proclamation. That was 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in a Game 6 for the ages.

The Milwaukee Bucks have come back from a 2-0 series hole to win the NBA Finals in six games!

Suns 98-105 Bucks, FINAL

Giannis is at the line to make one of two free throws to make it 50 points. The Suns take a timeout just to give everyone a breather and the clock goes out.

Suns 98-104 Bucks, 9.8, 4^th quarter

The Bucks finally foul Connaughton after a few precious seconds, the last seconds of their season, come off the clock. Connaughton misses the first and the second. Haha. Paul with a gimme layup. The Suns immediately foul this time.

I am sad for Chris Paul, an emotion I never really expecte to feel to be honest.

Suns 96-104 Bucks, 25.5, 4^th quarter

Booker with a desperation shot. It doesn’t go. The Suns foul here, maybe a little too fast, and it’s Middleton who is super-killer on the line. Free throw 1 is good. Free throw 2 is good. Paul’s three is missed. Middleton secures it. Bucks call a timeout with 25.5 seconds on the clock. The crowd is up, this one is over.

Suns 96-102 Bucks, 56.9, 4^th quarter

Middleton with a jumper and THAT could be the dagger. Six-point lead and the Suns take a timeout.

Suns 96-100 Bucks, 1:14, 4^th quarter

Portis fouls Crowder at the end of a long and almost fruitless possession. That’s five fouls on Portis but in a minute and change it might not matter. Crowder needs to make both shots to keep Phoenix in here. He hits the first… and the second.

Suns 94-100 Bucks, 1:50, 4^th quarter

Giannis gets the ball out of the timeout and scores, that’s 49 points. 8 point Bucks lead!

Booker comes in and scores to keep the Phoenix Suns alive. Time’s clicking down though.

Suns 92-100 Bucks, 2:17, 4^th quarter

Giannis gets the ball out of the timeout and scores, that’s 49 points. 8 point Bucks lead!

Suns 92-98 Bucks, 3:08, 4^th quarter

Ayton gets the layup this time, off an ill-timed Middleton turnover. The Bucks take a timeout here, calming things down for their final run. Still up six.

Suns 90-98 Bucks, 3:37, 4^th quarter

Booker gets stripped by Tucker and fouls Tucker on the other end. The Bucks can’t score and neither can the Suns. Ayton with a miss and Giannis hits one off the glass on the other end. The stadium is shaking.

Suns 90-96 Bucks, 4:35, 4^th quarter

Middleton with a fallaway jumper, this is feeling more and more likely.

Giannis is at 16 out of 17 free throws. Note: until like, this series, free throws were the WEAKEST part of his game. Absolutely ridiculous.

Suns 90-94 Bucks, 4:53, 4^th quarter

Giannis gets a dunk and then he finds a Paul misstep. A Middleton shot attempt would drive the arena crazy, but it misses. Booker however gets called for an offensive foul, that gives the ball right back to Milwaukee. They can’t score, despite getting two attempts. Suns have another chance to cut this down… Crowder with a crazy jumper gets it. Four-point game. Bucks call a timeout.

Suns 88-92 Bucks, 6:29, 4^th quarter

Paul picks up a non-shooting foul. The Bucks have possession and Portis scores with a layup. Booker answers however.

Suns 86-90 Bucks, 7:09, 4^th quarter

Now Giannis gets called for a foul. That puts Paul on the line, he hits both. Four-poin game, lots of time left.

Suns 84-90 Bucks, 7:37, 4^th quarter

Portis picks up a foul and a technical foul for arguing it. Paul misses the free throw though. Meanwhile, Giannis blocks Booker, doesn’t get called for a foul, but draws a Bridges foul on the other end. Giannis is back on the line and Phoenix are furious.

Giannis makes both. 43 points total for the game.

Suns 84-88 Bucks, 8:03, 4^th quarter

Ayton picks up another foul, not great, and guess who is on the line? Kaminsky comes in to replace Ayton, meanwhile Giannis is on the line on one of the hottest free throw nights of his postseason life. He makes both.

Suns 84-86 Bucks, 8:19, 4^th quarter

Another Giannis block. Crowder gets the ball back but he has no time to get one out. On the other end, Giannis collects a Middleton miss and gets it in. Paul responds however, he keeps doing this all game.

Suns 82-84 Bucks, 9:18, 4^th quarter

Suns get the ball back after challenging an out-of-bounds play, so they get that timeout back. We get another clock-adjustment, maybe we are in a Philip K Dick story when it comes to the flow of time here. Okay, the Suns get the shot back… but Crowder misses a wide-open three. Wow that could have changed things.

Suns 82-84 Bucks, 9:45, 4^th quarter

Bridges misses for the Suns, Johnson blocks Portis who is not entirely appreciative. The Suns take a timeout.

Suns 82-84 Bucks, 9:57, 4^th quarter

Holiday with a 27 footer. Paul quiets things down with an attempt to tie with an old school three-pointer, getting a floater to sink and getting a foul on Tucker. He makes the free throw.

Portis has a shot of his own here, he’s playing angry.

Suns 79-79 Bucks, 10:54, 4^th quarter

Portis gets some revenge by opening up the fourth quarter scoring. Kaminsky (?) answers. Sure Frank Kaminsky Podium Game time.

Suns 77-77 Bucks, 12:00, 4^th quarter

Well I’ve been predicting overtime every game here, and I’ve been wrong so far, but if any game has an overtime feel, well it’s one.

Yeah on review that “Bobby Portis foul” was an offensive foul on Booker. But whatever, a tied game is more fun, I’ll allow it.

Suns 77-77 Bucks, end of the 3^rd quarter

Booker with a wild shot, he gets a foul shot although he makes a lot of contact to begin with. The Milwaukee fans do not like it one bit. Booker on the line though, with a chance to tie things up. Giannis back in the game for the last few seconds here. Booker makes both. Holiday gets off a shot and it’s no good. IT’S TIED GOING TO THE FOURTH! THIS IS AMAZING!

Suns 75-77 Bucks, 24.5, 3^rd quarter

Brutal Phoenix turnover, which could haunt them in what promises not to be a blowout. Giannis with a rare miss and Kaminsky with a rarer dunk and it’s a two point game!

Suns 73-77 Bucks, 1:08, 3^rd quarter

Booker drives in and scores for Phoenix. They need to just get this a tad closer before the fourth quarter or at least prevent the Bucks from extending the lead.

Suns 71-77 Bucks, 1:41, 3^rd quarter

Middleton with a floater. Cam Johnson can’t connect on the Phoenix end, Connaughton gets the ball. Giannis is going to draw a foul on Crowder. He’s now desperate to get to the line, helps that it’s quieter here than in Phoenix. He hits both.

Suns 71-73 Bucks, 2:45, 3^rd quarter

Holiday-to-Antetokounmpo for a layup. What was I saying?

Oh hey Frank Kaminsky scored! That’s something I wasn’t expecting.

I am honestly on the “Give the Finals MVP to Giannis even if the Suns win the series” bandwagon at this point, for what it’s worth.

Suns 69-71 Bucks, 2:46, 3^rd quarter

Booker gets it. The foul on the play was Pat Connaughton by the way, I’ll mention here with the Bucks, still up by a score, take a timeout to collect themselves.

Suns 68-71 Bucks, 2:46, 3^rd quarter

Crowder misses BUT Kaminsky gets the rebound and gives him a second chance, which he nails. That would be great for the Suns but Holiday hits a three pointer of his own.

Devin Booker gets two points credited to him after a Giannis goaltend. (It feels like a 50-50 call at first, but it does hit the backboard before he does so). Booker also gets a free throw here.. and there’s some sort of clock issue that delays it.

Suns 63-68 Bucks, 4:09, 3^rd quarter

Ayton picks up his fourth foul, which is bad for Phoenix who have a shortage of bigs, while Giannis gets to the line. He makes both free throws, because it’s that kind of game for him.

Suns 63-66 Bucks, 4:24, 3^rd quarter

Each team goes back and forth here with misses, but the crowd feels to be willing Milwaukee on. Lopez, at the very least, is feeling it as he takes a Holiday assist and converts it.

Paul, as he has been this game, tries to level things out for Phoenix with an old school jumper. One possession game.