The Cavs(22-11) continued their six-game homestand on Wednesday night against the Bucks(22-9), and for the first time in three games, Cleveland defeated Milwaukee 114-106.
Cleveland has now won five straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ big win over the Bucks.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell was sensational again; he had 36 points, four rebounds, and six assists. He feasted at the line as he was 15/16 from the stripe. Mitchell has scored 20-plus points in nine straight games.
Darius Garland also brought it for the Cavs; he had 23 points. The Cavs backcourt combined for 59 points.
Jarrett Allen was efficient, proficient, and just got the job done. He had 19 points on 7/9 shooting and eight rebounds.
Defense: Cleveland did a solid job on the defensive end. They created 16 of Milwaukee’s 21 turnovers in the first half, and Cleveland had 22 points off those 21 turnovers.
In addition, they held the Bucks to 40% shooting in the first half. Cavs led 60-42 at halftime.
Not So Great:
Fourth Quarter: The Cavs let the Bucks creep back in this one in the fourth. The Bucks outscored the Cavs 29-21 in the quarter. Cleveland shot only 33% from the floor, including 0/5 from deep. The Cavs led by as many as 25 points in the third and 16 in the fourth. Milwaukee cut the lead to five late, but Garland made a fadeaway and two free throws, and the Cavs held on.
Bottom Line:
This is a big win for the Cavs. Yes, Khris Middleton didn’t play for Milwaukee, and even without Middleton, the Bucks are still an outstanding basketball team, so again, a good win for the Cavs.
As we look at the standings in the East, we see the Cavs moving on up. With the win, the third-seeded Cavs are now one game behind the Bucks for the top spot in the East and 1/2 game behind the second-seeded Celtics.
Cleveland is taking advantage of this home cooking and is 16-2 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which is the best home record in the NBA.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their six-game homestand on Friday night against the Raptors.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a season-high 45 points and 14 rebounds; he also added two blocks; Jrue Holiday had nine points, a season-high nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Lamar Stevens miss his third game with knee soreness.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(12-7) began their three-game road trip in Milwaukee against the Bucks(13-5), and as they did earlier in the season in Milwaukee, the Cavs fell to the Bucks 117-102, which snapped Cleveland’s four-game winning streak.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Bucks.
Great:
First Half Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland: Mitchell had 21 of his team-high 29 points for the Cavs in the first half, and Garland added 17 of his 20 points for the Cavs in the first half. The two combined for 38 of the team’s 63 first-half points, but like the rest of the group, the two struggled in the second half. Mitchell was 8/15 from the floor, while Garland was 6/11 in the first half. However, in the second half, Micthell was 3/9, while Garland was 1/7 from the field.
Not So Great:
Third Quarter: Cleveland led 63-52 at the break and led by as many as 16 points, but the third quarter turned everything around for the Bucks. Milwaukee outscored the Cavs 35-10 in the third. Giannis Antetokounmpo had nine of his game-high 38 points in the quarter. The Cavs shot an abysmal 17% from the field, while the Bucks shot 58%, including 5/6 from deep. A 16-point first-half lead for Cleveland turned into a 14-point deficit as the Bucks led 87-73 at the end three, and the game was essentially over.
In their two wins over the Cavs this season, Milwaukee has outscored Cleveland 69-28 in the third.
Bottom Line
Cleveland got the start they wanted, but unfortunately, they did not get the third quarter they wanted, and ultimately, they didn’t get the win. The Bucks blitzed them, and the Cavs did not respond as their road struggles continued. Cleveland is now 4-6 on the road.
What’s Next:
The Cavs head to Detroit to battle the Pistons on Sunday.
Best of the Rest:
-Jarrett Allen injured his hip after a scary fall in the first quarter. Allen went for an Antetokounmpo pump fake and fell over him. He would return. However, he only played four minutes in the second half.
-Lamar Stevens missed Friday’s game due to illness. Dean Wade stepped in for Stevens and had seven points and 12 rebounds.
-Caris LeVert missed his third straight game with an ankle injury; Kevin Love(thumb) missed his second consecutive game.
-Jevon Carter had 18 points, including five threes for Milwaukee: Along with his 38 points(22 in the first half), Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.
The Cavs were hoping to snap their four-game losing streak on Wednesday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks. Fortunately for Cleveland, they got back their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell(ankle), who missed Sunday’s loss against the Timberwolves. However, they were still without Jarrett Allen(illness) and Dean Wade(knee).
Cleveland(8-6) trailed the Bucks(11-3) by as many as 20 points in this one; they cut the lead to nine in the fourth but could not get any closer as they fell to Milwaukee 113-98 at Fiserv Forum.
The Cavs have now lost five straight; Milwaukee snapped a two-game losing streak.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Bucks.
Great:
Evan Mobley had 20 points on an efficient 9/14 from the field, with seven rebounds and two blocks. Mobley started at center for Allen.
Cavs Backcourt: Darius Garland(8/20, 5/9 3FG) and Donovan Mitchell(7/19, 3/9 3FG) scored 23 points apiece for the Cavs, which was nearly half of the team’s points. In addition, the two combined for 11 assists as Garland led the team with eight dimes.
Not So Great:
Third Quarter: Bucks led the Cavs 61-60 at the break but took complete control of the game in the third. They outscored the Bucks 34-18 in the quarter and had the largest lead of the game at 91-71 in the quarter. Brook Lopez(7/9 3FG) was on fire as he scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the third. The Bucks were sizzling in the third as they shot 60% from the field. On the contrary, Cleveland shot 29% from the floor.
Defense: Cleveland did not get the job done on the defensive end. Milwaukee shot 53% for the first three quarters and easily got into the lane. Just way too many open looks for the Bucks, and they capitalized on it.
Bottom Line:
There is no shame in losing to the Bucks on the road, but Milwaukee was without Jrue Holiday(ankle) and Khris Middleton(wrist), so this was an opportunity for the Cavs to steal a win. However, that’s hard to do when the defensive energy is not where it needs to be. Hopefully, the Cavs can get it right during their upcoming four-game homestand.
What’s Next:
Cleveland starts a four-game homestand at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists for the Bucks; Jordan Nwora added 21 points(5/9 3FG) off the bench.
For the second straight season, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been named the 2021-22 NBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced Wednesday.
He becomes the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons. The last player to win back-to-back MVP awards was Giannis Antetokounmpo(2019-2020).
Jokić received 875 points (65 first-place votes); Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid finished in second place with 706 points (26 first-place votes), and Antetokounmpo finished in third place with 595 points (nine first-place votes).
According to StatMuse, Jokic’s 65 first-place votes are the fewest for an MVP since Steve Nash in 2005-06.
The 27-year-old Jokić averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.47 steals, and 0.85 blocks per game, setting career highs in each category except assists (second highest). The seven-year veteran, who played 74 games and averaged 33.5 minutes, ranked sixth in the NBA in points, second in rebounds, eighth in assists, 12th steals, and 33rd in blocks per game.
He became the first player in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season and the first player to average at least 25.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a season. He led the NBA in triple-doubles with 19 and double-doubles with 66(both single-season team records).
This is the first time that both the top three and four of the top five finishers in voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award are international players, with Jokić (Serbia), Embiid (Cameroon), and Antetokounmpo (Greece) comprising the top three and Dončić (Slovenia) joining them in the top five. Jokić is the second European player to win the award more than once, joining Antetokounmpo, the MVP in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
You could make a case for Embiid, Antetokounmpo, or Jokić as the league MVP, but in the end, Jokić gets the nod.
The voting results for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award are below:
The Cleveland Cavaliers came into Sunday’s action against the Milwaukee Bucks looking to get at least the eighth seed in the East or, if the Nets stumble versus the Pacers, the seventh seed.
Fortunately, the Bucks decided to rest their whole starting lineup, and the Cavs took full advantage. Cleveland led by as many as 40 points and routed the Bucks 133-115 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Unfortunately, the Nets defeated the Pacers, so they will be the seventh seed, while the Cavs will be the eighth seed in the East, so Cleveland will to travel to Brooklyn Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament.
Cleveland finished the season 44-38, and the Bucks ended the year 51-31.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Bucks.
The Great for the Cavs:
-Kevin Love, who played only 15 minutes, scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half off the bench. The five-time All-Star made a career-high tying eight threes. He finished 10/16 from the field, including 8/11 from deep. He also added 10 rebounds. Love had 18 points, including five threes in the first quarter. Here’s the crazy part, according to Elias Sports, Love is the first player in the shot-clock era (since 1954) to record 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in under 16 minutes of action.
-Evan Mobley had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and he also added four blocks. Mobley finished the regular season with 21 double-doubles, the fourth-most for a rookie in Cavs’ history.
-Lauri Markkanen had 23 points(4/7 3-PT FG) and seven rebounds.
First Half: The Cavs jumped on the Pacers early and did not let up. Cleveland tied a season-high with 46 points in the first quarter, which tied a franchise record for most points in any quarter in team history. Cleveland shot 60% from the floor, including 10/15(67%) from downtown. They led by 26(46-20) after one.
Ultimately, the Cavs scored 79 points in the first half and led by 33 points(79-46) at the break.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
Not today!!!
Bottom Line:
The Cavs caught a break as the Bucks were clearly not looking to win this game. Now, it’s time to prepare to head to Brooklyn to face the seventh-seeded Nets.
Brooklyn will be tough to beat, but it’s one game, so anything is possible.
On Friday, the Cavs were down 17 points in the first quarter against the Nets and were swimming upstream the rest of the way; they took the lead in the third but fell short in the fourth, so Cleveland must get off to a better start.
Playing Brooklyn again could be to the Cavs’ benefit. For example, last season, the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Golden State Warriors on the road in the season finale. A week later, Memphis went back on the road and beat the Warriors in the Play-In Tournament, so again, anything is possible.
Fortunately, as the eighth seed, Cleveland will have two games to win one, so if they fall short against the Nets, they will have a home game against the winner of the Hornets(10) and Hawks(9).
Quotes:
“I like our chances when it comes down to a dog fight,” Love said after the win. “That’s what it’s going to be come Tuesday night.”
What’s Next:
The Cavs travel to Brooklyn to battle the Nets Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament.
Best of the Rest:
-Mobley finished the season with 1,034 points, 570 rebounds(MOST among rookies), 174 assists, 115 blocks(MOST among rookies), 56 steals, and 21 double-doubles(MOST among rookies).
-Love finished with 187 threes this season, which is the fourth most in team history.
-The Cavs finished the season 25-16 at home.
-Rajon Rondo had six points and a season-high 13 assists against the Bucks.
-Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Bucks with a career-high 28 points; Thanasis Antetkuonmpko had a career-high 27 points.
-Before the game, the Cavs announced that they had converted the contract of center Moses Brown to a standard NBA contract and signed guard RJ Nembhard to a two-way contract.
Brown, who would not have been eligible for the playoffs with a two-contract, signed his first 10-day contract with Cleveland on March 10, his second 10-day contract on March 21, and a two-way contract on March 31.
Nembhard, prior to being waived on April 7, was signed to a standard NBA contract with Cleveland on March 31 and was originally signed to a two-way contract on October 16. Nembhard has appeared in 13 games this season for the Cavaliers and 13 games (12 starts) with the Cleveland Charge.
Listen below as Love and Mobley react to win over Bucks:
On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended their three-game homestand in style against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Cleveland routed the Buck 115-99 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
With the win, the Cavs(30-19) have won three straight and eight of their last nine, while Milwaukee’s(30-20) three-game winning streak was snapped.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ big win over the Bucks.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
Kevin Love and Cedi Osman: The difference makers off the Cavs’ bench against the Bucks. Love led the team with 25 points, including five threes and nine rebounds. It was Love’s second straight 20-plus point game.
Osman scored 18 of 23 points in the first half, including a career-high-tying six threes. The five-year veteran also had a milestone as he grabbed his 1,000th career rebound.
Osman gave the Cavs a significant lift in the second quarter as he scored 15 points(most points he’s had in a quarter in his career), including four threes. Osman had a combined 21 points in the previous four games, but he busted out Wednesday night.
Because of the contributions of Love and Osman, Cleveland’s bench outscored Milwaukee’s bench 57-15.
-Darius Garland continues to play at an All-Star level. He had 19 points and eight assists. Garland battled a back injury throughout the contest, but he gutted it through and led the team.
-Evan Mobley was in double figures for the 16th straight game as he had 16 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
-Jarrett Allen returned after missing Monday’s win over the Knicks with an illness. He had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. It was Allen’s fifth double-double in his last six appearances.
Second and Third Quarters: The Bucks shot 73.7% from the floor and led 35-26 after one quarter. Then, Osman and Love happened in the second quarter, and the Cavs woke up.
Cleveland shot 50% from the field and made seven threes(7/12) in the second. Love and Osman combined for 21 of Cleveland’s 39 points in the quarter. Milwaukee led the Cavs 37-26 at the 11:41 mark of the second quarter. Cleveland would outscore the Bucks 36-14 to take their largest lead in the quarter of 11 points(62-51).
Cleveland outscored the Bucks 39-22 in the second quarter and took a 65-57 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Cavs continued to dominate the world champions. Cleveland outscored the Bucks 30-20 in the quarter and held Milwaukee to 26.3% from the field, including 1/7 from deep.
The Cavaliers outscored the Bucks 69-42 in the second and third quarters. Cleveland led Milwaukee 95-77 after three quarters. The Cavs had their largest lead of 21 points in the third.
The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
You beat the world champions by 16 points; it’s all good in the Land.
Bottom Line:
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the team’s victory over the Nets on MLK Day was a signature win. Well, this win was probably better. Here’s why: First, the Bucks are 18-3 this season when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday are in the lineup. Next, Milwaukee was on a three-game winning streak, and finally, the Cavs not only beat the Bucks, but they blew them out, so yes, this is the Cavs’ signature win of the season.
Cleveland is the third seed in the East and is now 1.5 games behind the Heat for the top spot in the conference. The Cavs are for real, and if they keep winning, maybe they can grab the top spot in the East.
“We take on all challenges,” Bickerstaff said of the Cavs. “We don’t run from anybody. We don’t back down. We give everybody our best shot.”
What’s Next:
Cleveland will have a few days off before they travel to Detroit to battle the Pistons Sunday night.
Best of the Rest:
-Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a game-high 26 points. He also added nine rebounds and three assists. Bobby Portis had 22 points, and Middleton added 21.
-Cleveland had six players in double figures against the Bucks. The Cavs recorded 19 threes in this one.
-In their last 12 games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cavs are 10-2.
Watch below as Love, Osman, and Allen react to the big win over the Bucks:
The Cleveland Cavaliers went into Milwaukee to battle the world champion Bucks. However, what they got wasn’t the team that won a championship a year ago. Due to health and safety protocols, Milwaukee was without many of its key players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and Dante DiVincenzo.
Cleveland was impacted by health and safety protocols as they were without Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro.
However, the Cavs had more available talent, and it showed. Cleveland led 62-51 at halftime. The Cavaliers went on a 19-2 run in the third to take their largest lead of 30 and ultimately defeated the Bucks 119-90.
The Cavaliers(19-12) have won six straight and 10 of 12, while the Bucks(19-13) have dropped two straight and three out of their last four.
With the win, Cleveland is the third seed in the East.
The six-game winning streak for the Cavs is the longest current win streak in the NBA.
Here is the Great, the Not So Great, and the Bottom Line Cavs’ win over Milwaukee.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
Darius Garland was en Fuego Saturday night. He scored 12 of his 22 points in the first quarter. The third-year guard started the game 6/6 and finished 10/13 from the floor, including 2/4 from downtown. Garland also added six assists and four rebounds.
Cavs’ Bench: Cedi Osman had a team-high 23 points, including 5/9 from three-point range. Kevin Love had 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and he made a little history as he passed Campy Russell for 10th place on Cleveland’s all-time scoring list; Ricky Rubio had a double-double with 15 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. This was Rubio’s fourth double-double of the season, and he was a team-best plus-33. In total, the Cavs had 53 points off their bench.
First and Third Quarter: Cleveland outscored the Bucks by 27 points in those quarters. Cleveland shot 58% from the floor in the first quarter, including 6/13(46%) from downtown. The Cavaliers led 34-20 after one. In the third, the Cavaliers shot 50% from the field and used a 19-2 run to take complete control of the game. Cleveland outscored Milwaukee 31-18 in the quarter.
Defense: The Cavaliers held Milwaukee to 39% shooting and forced 17 turnovers, which led to 18 Cleveland points.
The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
Nothing here to see today…
Bottom Line:
This would have been a bad loss for Cleveland. Milwaukee and the rest of the league are dealing with a severe COVID outbreak, and at this point, it appears the team with the least amount of players in health and protocols is the team that will win the game. Actually, it seems to be that way in all major sports leagues right now. However, give Cleveland credit. They handled their business Saturday night.
“It’s not just hero ball, everybody is contributing,” Garland said.
What’s Next:
Cleveland was expected to battle the Hawks in Atlanta on Sunday, but according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the game is expected to be postponed as the Cavs have five players in health and safety protocols.
Best of the Rest:
Jarrett Allen added 14 points and five rebounds as Cleveland had five players in double figures.
Jordan Nwora led the Bucks with a game-high 28 points.
Most wins by 10 points this season in NBA:
1. Golden State – 17
2. Utah – 15
3. CLEVELAND 14
Watch below as Garland and Osman react to win over Milwaukee:
Coming off a tough loss to the Jazz at home Sunday night, the Cavaliers went into Milwaukee to face the world champion Bucks.
Cleveland trailed Milwaukee by 10 entering the fourth quarter and would cut the lead to 98-96 with just over seven minutes to go. However, the Bucks would go on a 9-1 run to put the game away and win 112-104 at Fiserv Forum Monday night.
After winning four straight, the Cavaliers(13-12) have dropped two consecutive games, while the Bucks(16-9) have won two straight and 10 of 11.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Bucks.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
-Jarrett Allen’s double-double streak ended at seven games, but he had a very good performance Monday night. He led the way for Cleveland with 25 points(10/12 FG), nine rebounds and two blocks. Allen is getting it done and is second in the NBA in field goal percentage(71%).
-Lauri Markkanen had a solid performance. He scored 20 points, including four threes, and had seven rebounds.
-Kevin Love gave the Cavs great minutes off the bench. Love scored 15 points, including a game-high five threes in 19 minutes. The 13-year veteran has been in double figures in four out of the last five games.
The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
After two straight 30-point games, Darius Garland struggled with his shot. He was 3/12 from the floor and finished with only 10 points. Garland did add nine assists. However, he led the team in turnovers(four).
-Isaac Okoro was 0/6 from the floor, including 0/3 from downtown. He had a team-worst -20 rating.
-Playing the second game of a back-to-back can be taxing, and the Cavs played like a tired team Monday. They shot 39% from the field and 15/46 from three-point range. At times, it appeared Cleveland fell too much in love with the three-point shot as they launched more threes than two-point shots.
Bottom Line:
Beating the Jazz(16-7) and Bucks(16-9) on back-to-back nights would be tough for any team in the NBA. To the Cavs’ credit, they were a Garland three away from beating the Jazz, and they competed and battled against the Bucks. However, they fell short, which is not the end of the world when you consider where the Cavs are right now.
“We’re going to fight till the end,” Allen said. “That’s the main thing I learned about this team, about the guys. No matter how we start the game, no matter who’s in front of us, big or small, we’re going to go out there and fight till the end.”
What’s Next:
Cleveland returns home to play another tough team when they battle the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for Milwaukee as he scored 15 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth and grabbed 12 rebounds on his 27th birthday. Khris Middleton had 21 points and eight assists, Jrue Holiday scored 20 points and dished out eight assists, and Bobby Portis had a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
-Evan Mobley had 12 points and six rebounds for Cleveland. However, Mobley’s streak of 13 games with a block was snapped against Milwaukee.
Watch below as Markkanen and Allen react to the loss against the Bucks:
On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers(8-4) hosted the world champion, Milwaukee Bucks(5-6).
However, Philadelphia was without their top three scorers in Joel Embiid(Health and Safety Protocols), Tobias Harris(Health and Safety Protocols), and Seth Curry(Foot contusion). Also, they were missing Matisse Thybulle(Health and Safety Protocols), and of course, Ben Simmons.
Philly battled for the whole game but did not have enough as they were outscored 27-16 in the fourth and fell to Milwaukee 118-109.
Here is the Great, Not so Great, and Bottom Line of Philly’s loss to Milwaukee:
The Great for the 76ers:
-Tyrese Maxey did everything in his power to lead the Sixers to victory. The second-year guard led Philadelphia with a game-high-tying and season-high 31 points (12-24 FG), including a career-best four made threes, along with five boards and four assists. Maxey set a new single-quarter career-high with 17 points in the first period (7-9 FG, 3-4 3FG).
-Georges Niang scored 12 of his season-high 21 points against the Bucks off the bench, including five threes. According to Stathead, this is the 22nd time of Niang’s career where he has scored at least 10 points in a half.
-Andre Drummond has been great this season. He had another double-double with 17 points, a game-high 20 rebounds, and two blocks. This is Drummond’s second straight game of at least 20 rebounds(25 rebounds against Knicks on Monday night), leaving him tied for the fifth-most double-digit rebounding games in the league this year. Through 12 games, Drummond is the second player with consecutive games of at least 10 points and 20 rebounds.
-Shake Milton started for the injured Seth Curry and had a solid performance with 20 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
Not so Great for the 76ers:
Philadelphia did not shoot the ball all that great on Tuesday night, which is understandable. The 76ers shot 41% from the field.
Bottom Line:
Look, it would have been amazing if the 76ers had won this game, and while there are no moral victories in this league, Philadelphia might have earned a moral victory. Without Embiid and Harris, it’s going to be tough, but maybe they can find a way to steal a few games without their top players.
“I don’t know if anything surprises me with these guys,” 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said postgame. “They play hard; they try to figure it out… Tyrese [Maxey] was sensational tonight, kept attacking, Georges [Niang] gave us everything he had, I thought [Drummond] offensively on the glass was really good.”
What’s Next:
Philadelphia finishes their three-game homestand on Thursday night against the Raptors.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Antetokounmpo has now scored at least 30 points in four games this season; Grayson Allen set a season-high with 25 points in the game, and Bobby Portis added 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Chris Paul finally made it to the NBA Finals in Year 16 of his career, but unfortunately for him and the Suns, the season ended without winning an NBA title.
Phoenix fell to the Bucks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals 105-98 at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday and would lose the series 4-2 after having a 2-0 series lead.
No one expected the Suns to get to this point. They missed the playoffs last season but added Chris Paul and Jae Crowder to the mix, and they were able to have the second-best record in the NBA, and ultimately, they made it to the Finals.
Paul, who had 26 points and five assists on Tuesday night, knows this loss will hurt for some time.
“It’s tough,” he said. “Great group of guys, hell of a season, but this one is going to hurt for a while.”
Even though the Suns got to the Finals, which is good, Paul is not satisfied.
“For me, it just means back to work. Back to work. Nothing more, nothing less,” he said. “Ain’t no moral victories or whatnot. We sort of saw what it takes to get there, and hopefully, we see what it takes to get past that…
“Everybody in that locker room knows we had enough, but it wasn’t enough. So, we got to figure it out. I think for me, I just look at myself and figure out how can I get better, what I could have done more, and make sure I come back next season ready to do it again.”
The 11-time All-Star can opt-out of his contract. Paul is scheduled to make $44.2 million next season if he decides to opt-in. No matter what he decides, the 36-year-old point guard says he will play next season.
“I mean, it will take a while to process this or whatnot, but it’s same mentality, get back to work,” he said. “I ain’t retiring… That’s out. So, back to work.”
Phoenix could have a hard time getting back to the Finals. The Lakers, Jazz, Warriors, Clippers(if they re-sign Kawhi Leonard), and Nuggets will be formidable in the Western Conference.
However, the Suns have a star in Devin Booker and a budding star in Deandre Ayton, but Paul was the difference. If he does come back, Phoenix can still contend. If he doesn’t, that’s a big blow for this team. We’ll see what happens in the offseason, but Suns have built a winning culture, and we shall see if they can build on the success they had this season.
