Antetokounmpo hungers for NBA title with Bucks on the brink
MILWAUKEE: Giannis Antetokounmpo finds it harder to focus and stay in the moment with the Milwaukee Bucks on the verge of their first NBA title in 50 years.
The 26-year-old Greek star forward, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, can move beyond past playoff failures and win his first crown with a victory in Tuesday’s sixth game of the NBA Finals at Milwaukee.
“It means a lot,” Antetokounmpo said. “But I can’t get too carried away. I have to stay in the present. I can’t worry about the outcome.
“We know what the deal is. It’s one game away from being an NBA champ, being in the history of this game, being always there. Nobody can take that away from you. It’s going to be big.”
The Bucks lead the best-of-seven showdown 3-2 and can win their first crown since 1971 before a noisy sellout crowd with 25,000 more people packing the “Deer District” and watching on screens outside the arena.
Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday said control during an emotional roller coaster is vital.
“We’ve really just got to lock in, not get too high, not get too low,” Holiday said. “You’ve got to give it your all. At this point there’s no excuses.”
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the NBA’S best record the previous two seasons only to see Milwaukee make disappointing playoff exits, dropping four in a row to Toronto in 2019 and losing to NBA runner-up Miami in 2020.
“What we’ve been through the last couple years, it has prepared us to be in this moment,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It’s just part of our journey and we’ve still got a ways to go.” Antetokounmpo stresses the work yet to come. “We have to enjoy the moment ,” an te tokou nm po said. “But the job is not done. We have to realize that. We have got to stay in the present.
“We’ve got to stay humble. When this team is humble, this team is very, very dangerous.”
Past playoff failures have taught the Bucks to be champions, Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton said.
“When adversity hit in the playoffs, we weren’t able to really get through it,” he said.
“Throughout these playoffs, when adversity has hit, we’ve come together even stronger. We’ve had each other’s backs. That’s what championshipcaliber basketball is all about.”
The Bucks could become only the fith team to win the title ater losing the first two games of the finals, joining the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, 2006 Miami Heat, 1977 Portland Trail Blazers and 1969 Boston Celtics. The rare feat would put Antetokounmpoamongsomeofthenba’sgreatestlegends, including Lebron James, Shaquille O’neal, Dwyane Wade and record 11-time champion Bill Russell.
“We don’t stop,” Antetokounmpo said. “Usually when you’re down 0-2, you stop competing in a way. But this team, we don’t do that. We keep coming, keep competing.”