2021 NBA Finals

• 1. Pandemic Disruption And Schedule

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  The 2021 NBA Finals began on July 6, the second-latest start date in championship history. This delay resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic altering the league schedule for the second consecutive year. The regular season ran from the 22nd of December 2020, to the 16th of May 2021, compressing play into just 72 games per team. Playoffs commenced on May 22, pushing the final series well past its traditional late May or early June window. Both Milwaukee and Phoenix entered this unique timeline with significant roster changes made during the offseason. The Bucks acquired guard Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans in a four-team trade. They surrendered point guard Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, R.J. Hampton's rights, and future draft picks to secure Holiday. The Suns added All-Star Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder by trading Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., and a first-round pick. These moves set the stage for a historic run under unusual circumstances.

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• 2. Milwaukee Bucks Championship Run

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  Milwaukee finished the regular season with a 46, 26 record, securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They swept the Miami Heat in the first round before facing the Brooklyn Nets. The series against Brooklyn required seven games after losing the opening two contests. Starting guard Donte DiVincenzo tore a ligament in his left ankle during Game 3 of that series, ending his season. He had been the team's sixth-leading scorer and made 38% of his three-point field goals. In the conference finals, Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextension to his left knee in Game 4 against Atlanta. Despite his absence, the Bucks won the series in six games thanks to contributions from Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. This path led them back to the Finals for the first time since 1974. The team entered the championship series as the fifth seed but carried momentum from their playoff victories.

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• 3. Phoenix Suns Historic Appearance

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  The Phoenix Suns entered the 2020, 21 season with just a .302 winning percentage over the previous five seasons. That figure represented the worst winning percentage in five years prior for any team advancing to a final playoff round in major American sports leagues. Head coach Monty Williams guided the team to a 51, 21 record, earning the second seed in the Western Conference. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and clinched the Pacific division for the first time since 2006, 07. Chris Paul, acquired from Oklahoma City, made his first Finals appearance at age 36 after 16 seasons in the league. The Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, swept the Denver Nuggets, and beat the Clippers in six games to reach the championship. This marked their first Finals appearance since 1993, ending a 28-year drought.

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• 4. Game One Through Two Analysis

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  Chris Paul scored 32 points and nine assists while Devin Booker added 27 points to lead Phoenix to an 118, 105 victory on July 6. Paul scored eight straight points early in the third quarter and finished with 16 points in that period alone. Deandre Ayton contributed 22 points and 19 rebounds for the Suns. Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from injury to score 20 points and grab 17 rebounds despite foul trouble. He made a chase-down block of Mikal Bridges that drew comparisons to LeBron James' famous play in 2016. The Suns made 25 of 26 free throws before Jae Crowder missed with 24.8 seconds remaining. Game two saw Booker score 31 points including seven three-pointers as Phoenix won 118, 108. Antetokounmpo posted 42 points and 12 rebounds but could not prevent the series slipping to 0, 2. The Bucks outscored the Suns 20, 0 in the key during the first period yet trailed 65, 50 entering the third quarter.

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• 5. The Great Backward Turnaround

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  Milwaukee cut Phoenix's series lead to 2, 1 when Antetokounmpo scored 41 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished six assists on July 11. Holiday added 21 points while Middleton contributed 18. The Bucks executed a 30, 9 run to end the first half and a 16, 0 finish to the third quarter. Khris Middleton scored 40 points including 10 straight in the closing minutes to tie the series at 2, 2 on July 14. He made consecutive midrange jump shots to put Milwaukee up 101, 99 with 1:28 left. Antetokounmpo blocked a potential game-tying alley-oop by Ayton with 1:14 remaining. Game five saw Holiday steal the ball from Booker with about 16 seconds left and pass to Antetokounmpo for an alley-oop dunk. The Bucks won 123, 119 to take a 3, 2 series lead. They became the first team to win on the road in this series.

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• 6. Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP Performance

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  Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a playoff career-high 50 points along with 14 rebounds and five blocks to clinch the championship on July 20. His performance tied Bob Pettit's Finals record for most points in a series-clinching game set in 1958. Antetokounmpo made 16 of 25 shots and was 17 for 19 on free throws after shooting just 55.6% throughout the playoffs. At age 26, he became the youngest Finals MVP since Kawhi Leonard in 2014. He recorded his third game with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds during the series. This achievement passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's team mark of 11 such games in one postseason. Antetokounmpo joined Shaquille O'Neal as the only players to have consecutive Finals games with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds. The Bucks won their first title since 1971 when they were led by Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.

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• 7. Media Coverage And Viewership

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  ABC televised the Finals for the 19th consecutive year including local affiliates KNXV-TV in Phoenix and WISN-TV in Milwaukee. ESPN Radio provided national broadcast coverage while Spike Lee directed each game's intro videos. Mike Breen called play-by-play alongside analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Rachel Nichols was replaced by Malika Andrews as sideline reporter following a leaked audio incident involving racist comments against Maria Taylor. YouTube TV served as the presenting sponsor under a multiyear partnership starting in 2018. Game six drew 6.6 ratings representing 12.52 million American households, the highest viewership of the series. The average rating across all six games reached 5.2 with an audience of 9.91 million. This marked the first Finals since 2010 without LeBron James or Stephen Curry competing.

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