Suns, Clippers, Hawks and Bucks.

SanctionII

When the 2020-2021 season began last December I bet few if any bets were placed picking these four teams to play in the Conference Finals.

Mickey71

SUNS look like they are coming to the battle and taking no prisoners. Congrats to these 4 teams. Atlanta is also a big surprise. Brooklyn just took too many injuries.

blurryface

still say suns will be hard to beat.

DrBuster

Gotta pull for the Hawks, would like to see them make it to the finals and give this town a taste of championship play again at least.

erikthredd

I’d love to see a Bucks-Suns final that includes a healthy Chris Paul.

Justacommeman

It's fun being this wide open with new blood

m

Steven59

If any of the other finals games are like the Suns - Clips game #1 it should actually be fun to watch this year.

DrBuster

Hawks looked horrible in game 2. Sloppy, throwing up nonstop brick or air 3s trying to catch up, turnovers aplenty. I thought the Bucks were gonna have 100 at the half.

Steven59

No Kawhi for game 4. Hopefully Booker and Paul will actually show up tonight.

erikthredd

It sucks seeing new contenders for an NBA championship all have health issues regarding each team's best player. First CP3 then Kawhi and now Trae Young and Giannis going down. Who wins the Finals may come down to which team has the healthiest star player available.

SanctionII

The finals may be played by players moving up from the second team to start in place of the injured star players.

Who will seize the opportunity and shine?

erikthredd

Congrats to any Suns fans here, they have to be the favorite now going forward regardless of who they play.

Steven59

Lopez goes off for 33 - who saw that coming?

erikthredd

I got the Finals matchup that I was hoping for now hopefully Giannis is a go on the 6th.

erikthredd

Bucks tied it up 2-2 in what was a great game overall. Now it’s down to a best of three for it all. Cmon Giannis get it done!

Justacommeman

What a sick block for Giannas on a lob to Ayton. Stupid good

blurryface

pretty bad call there on the giannis inbound w seconds to go. 1st he wasnt even completely outta bounds on the inbound. 2nd was on that same “in bound” they were trapping middleton and hadnt even touched him but the ref just blew the whistle because he assumed they were gonna foul.

officiating the entire 4th quarter was absolutely horrible.

Justacommeman

@blurryface said:
pretty bad call there on the giannis inbound w seconds to go. 1st he wasnt even completely outta bounds on the inbound. 2nd was on that same “in bound” they were trapping middleton and hadnt even touched him but the ref just blew the whistle because he assumed they were gonna foul.

officiating the entire 4th quarter was absolutely horrible.

It was. Booker had about 9 fouls but didn't foul out

blurryface

@Justacommeman said:

@blurryface said:
pretty bad call there on the giannis inbound w seconds to go. 1st he wasnt even completely outta bounds on the inbound. 2nd was on that same “in bound” they were trapping middleton and hadnt even touched him but the ref just blew the whistle because he assumed they were gonna foul.

officiating the entire 4th quarter was absolutely horrible.

It was. Booker had about 9 fouls but didn't foul out

those last two “non-fouls” booker didnt have called. i mean come on. stevie wonder coulda seen those. especially that one giannis caught back and put in.

JRR300

@erikthredd said:
Bucks tied it up 2-2 in what was a great game overall. Now it’s down to a best of three for it all. Cmon Giannis get it done!

I just can't stand it when it gets to the finals, the two best teams, and it comes down to an alley fight...anything goes. I have no skin in this game, but Tucker should have fouled out in the first quarter. Pushing in the back as a guy goes by, just hip checking to no end, etc etc. I don't mind playing hard, but this is ridiculous.

erikthredd

@JRR300 said:

@erikthredd said:
Bucks tied it up 2-2 in what was a great game overall. Now it’s down to a best of three for it all. Cmon Giannis get it done!

I just can't stand it when it gets to the finals, the two best teams, and it comes down to an alley fight...anything goes. I have no skin in this game, but Tucker should have fouled out in the first quarter. Pushing in the back as a guy goes by, just hip checking to no end, etc etc. I don't mind playing hard, but this is ridiculous.

It is what it is at this point. The officiating has been horrendous all season it seems, just noticeably worse than previous seasons and the playoffs haven’t been any different. For the Finals it just seems like they can’t make up their mind that they’ll either let them play hard one minute and then the next you’ll get rung up for just touching the offensive player.
At this point I’d rather just see the refs give the players the freedom to play hard and only blow the whistles on the most obvious/egregious penalties.

Steven59

Yikes - Goodbye Suns..........(hope not)

erikthredd

Tough hard fought win for the Bucks. I’m not going to count out the Suns yet but the city of Milwaukee will be rocking on Tuesday night.

edit: that Holiday steal/alley-oop to Giannis might end up as the highlight if they win this series.

Justacommeman

Unreal final sequence.

m

russblake5

Weren't both of these teams fighting for the 1st pick a few drafts ago? Now they pushing for a game 7.

https://www.sportsbetting3.com/nba/nba-championship-betting

Guess Booker and Giannis drafts needed a few years in NBA. Middleton and Chris Paul the vets.

ADG

Last #1 pick in the draft for the Bucks was Andrew Bogut in 2005. Bucks drafted #2 in 2014 with Jabari Parker. Giannis was pick #15 in 2013.

thisistheshow

It has definitely been an interesting and fun playoffs.

A lot of contenders knocked out early.

I know that there has been a lot of talk about Chris Paul and his chance to finally win one. But I really can"t root for a guy who has made a career out of flopping. So ...... Go Bucks!

erikthredd

Cmon Giannis, tonight’s your night. Attack that rim like you’re going for 60!

Steven59

Wow, quite a turn around in the 2nd quarter for the Suns - should be an interesting second half coming up.

MsMorrisine

Must make points in paint

Justacommeman

Wow Giannis.

50 points in a close out.14 rebounds and 5 blocks. MVP

65,000 plus celebrating outside in the Deer Zone. Fantastic

m

cecropiamoth

I'm literally in tears of joy!!!

blurryface

congrats bucks! well fought series.

thisistheshow

Wow! That was great.

Justacommeman

@ADG@cecropiamoth

Congrats!

mark

erikthredd

I’m so happy to see Giannis get this win,Congrats to any Bucks fans here!

erikthredd

It’s pretty crazy to think that all three Antetokounmpo brothers that played in the NBA these past two seasons have all ended up with a Championship ring.

erikthredd

Bucks just the 5th team in history to start Finals 0-2 then win four straight.
Giannis became third player in history to win an MVP,FMVP & DPOY in their career joining MJ & Hakeem.
That 50 he dropped tonight was his career high and only just the third player in 50 years to score 50 in a Finals game along with MJ & Lebron.
That was just an incredible performance.

blurryface

@erikthredd said:
Bucks just the 5th team in history to start Finals 0-2 then win four straight.
Giannis became third player in history to win an MVP,FMVP & DPOY in their career joining MJ & Hakeem. And that 50 he dropped tonight was his career high, was just an incredible performance.

and something that may or not be remembered…clutch free throws for him which was definitely the weakest part of his game, imo.

blurryface

something the bucks have going for them:

5 - giannis
4 - jrue
3 - middleton
2 - connaughton
2 - lopez
1 - donte (and he was outta the playoffs, i like him alot)

the numbers above are the years left on their contracts. sure you have super teams being built, but thats a pretty solid core there to at the very least contend respectfully for the next few years.

erikthredd

@blurryface said:

@erikthredd said:
Bucks just the 5th team in history to start Finals 0-2 then win four straight.
Giannis became third player in history to win an MVP,FMVP & DPOY in their career joining MJ & Hakeem. And that 50 he dropped tonight was his career high, was just an incredible performance.

and something that may or not be remembered…clutch free throws for him which was definitely the weakest part of his game, imo.

Agreed. This will likely be a career defining game for him,the way he practically willed his team to victory.

blurryface

@erikthredd said:

@blurryface said:

@erikthredd said:
Bucks just the 5th team in history to start Finals 0-2 then win four straight.
Giannis became third player in history to win an MVP,FMVP & DPOY in their career joining MJ & Hakeem. And that 50 he dropped tonight was his career high, was just an incredible performance.

and something that may or not be remembered…clutch free throws for him which was definitely the weakest part of his game, imo.

Agreed. This will likely be a career defining game for him,the way he practically willed his team to victory.

110%. then throw in the confidence it will undoubtedly build for him in future free throw scenarios plus coming off the injury to do what he just did and a true beast could have just been unleashed on the league. he just got everybody outta his way including himself! 😉

erikthredd

@blurryface said:
something the bucks have going for them:

5 - giannis
4 - jrue
3 - middleton
2 - connaughton
2 - lopez
1 - donte (and he was outta the playoffs, i like him alot)

the numbers above are the years left on their contracts. sure you have super teams being built, but thats a pretty solid core there to at the very least contend respectfully for the next few years.

Re-sign PJ Tucker,which wouldn’t cost much at his age, then go hunting for vet minimum guys chasing a ring. Preferably after my Celtics get first pick of the better ones

blurryface

^ another scenario where i need to hit the agree, like and lol tags!

celtics have some young studs in the stable. may be a few years, but their future looks brighter than what most think now, imo.

cecropiamoth

I went to my first Bucks game at the age of 8 during the 1979-80 season. 42 years of fandom. This has me very emotional tonight. Lived through those great 1980's Marques Johnson-Sidney Moncrief teams that could never get past either Boston or Philadelphia. The late 1990's teams with Big Dog/Ray/Sam couldn't get it done. The disaster v Toronto in 2019. Incredible for the city and fans that the Bucks have finally won a title.

Jeff

blurryface

@cecropiamoth said:
I went to my first Bucks game at the age of 8 during the 1979-80 season. 42 years of fandom. This has me very emotional tonight. Lived through those great 1980's Marques Johnson-Sidney Moncrief teams that could never get past either Boston or Philadelphia. The late 1990's teams with Big Dog/Ray/Sam couldn't get it done. The disaster v Toronto in 2019. Incredible for the city and fans that the Bucks have finally won a title.

Jeff

nothing wrong w that at all, jeff. get emotional. only equates to true love for what transpired and the years you put in, imo. all that previous heartbreak only makes it sweeter. i grew up with the braves during the 90s. so i can relate to an extent.

good on ya and while i dont know ya personally, im happy for you! congrats!

erikthredd

How can you not like this kid, he’s like the polar opposite of most NBA divas these days.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh2t9w6u_Z4

thisistheshow

@cecropiamoth

Thank you for sharing your story of fandom. It makes watching this even better. I of course know that there are a lot of Bucks fans like you (waiting loyally) but it is cool to have some Sports Talk connections to it as well.

We all know that pro sports is just a game. And we all know that the money is absurd. But within all of that there are important things like loyalty, community, etc that can shine above if you look for them and have the right mind set.

So CONGRATULATIONS!

FELICIDADES!

erikthredd

Someone at State Farm has some incredible foresight
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yiYGxlr74mw&feature=emb_title

That might be the best unintentional Troll job in history lol.