LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 29: Los Angeles Clippers Guard Luke Kennard 5 tries to score over Milwaukee Bucks Forward Khris Middleton 22 during a NBA, Basketball Herren, USA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers on March 29, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. The game was played without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire NBA: MAR 29 Bucks at Clippers Icon210329041
For the first time since 1971, The Milwaukee Bucks Win the NBA Championship
The 2020-21 NBA season was a wild one. Starting mere weeks after the conclusion of the Bubble Playoffs of 2019-20, amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic, this season was filled with the unexpected. The Brooklyn Nets traded for James Harden, cementing their big 3 as a new force. The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz controlled the West while LeBron James and the Lakers struggled to stay healthy. Nikola Jokic dominated en route to MVP. But when the dust settled from this wild season and one team remained, it was a familiarly strong team who finally reached the top for the first time in 50 years: the Milwaukee Bucks.
For NBA bettors, the season has concluded, and it’s time to start preparing for the 2021-22 NBA season. Free agency and the draft are right around the corner, and a lot can change for teams. But as Bucks bettors who jumped on their odds early know, placing bets before these results can result in big winnings. There are many bookmakers out there that already have odds for the next season. There are also recommended sites that provide a lot of important content about the bookmakers itself and provide some of the best NBA betting sites. So you can be sure you are getting reliable information about the bookmakers and choose with which site you want to bet in the next season.
Betting on the Bucks was no sure thing this year. They were coming off multiple seasons where they had dominated in the regular season and came up short in the playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo had won back-to-back MVPs, but there were questions over whether the team around him could actually win it all after the Bucks were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Bubble.
Coach Mike Budenholzer was almost fired following this loss, as it appeared he couldn’t adapt to the matchups and schemes of playoff basketball. However, the team brought him back for one more chance at the Larry O’Brien trophy. Anything less would’ve been regarded as a failure, and he likely would’ve been the man blamed for it.
Following the Bucks’ loss to the Heat, the team approached the offseason aggressively. They traded for Jrue Holiday, one of the league’s best defensive guards and a solid secondary scoring option. To acquire him, they gave up Eric Bledsoe, some other less integral players, and three first-round picks. They also added bench-big Bobby Portis.
The Bucks 2020-21 season was solid, although not as dominant as their previous two seasons. They entered the playoffs as the 3-seed. They dominated their old foe the Miami Heat in a first-round sweep and then got locked into an absolute battle against Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and the Brooklyn Nets.
After going down 0-2 against Brooklyn, Milwaukee surged back. Blessed with some injury luck, as Kyrie Irving sprained his ankle and left the series, and James Harden was hobbled, the Bucks managed to beat the Nets in overtime of Game 7.
Next, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bucks took on the upstart Atlanta Hawks. After losing the first game, the Bucks rallied back to win the next two. They ended up winning the series in 6 games to book their ticket to the NBA Finals. Led by massive performances from Giannis and Khris Middleton, the Bucks had a date with destiny and the Phoenix Suns.
The series started as poorly as it possibly could for the Bucks. Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and a deep Suns roster beat the Bucks in both games, despite Giannis shining. Middleton and Holiday, both expected to put points up, had terrible performances.
But following game 2, something clicked for the Bucks. They rattled off 4 straight victories in thrilling fashion. There were iconic moments galore. Giannis blocked Deandre Ayton late in Game 4 to seal a win. In game 5, Holiday stripped Devin Booker and threw a lob to Giannis to put a dagger in Phoenix’s hearts. Both Holiday and Middleton showed they were great Robins to Giannis’ Batman, chipping in with timely scoring and defensive intensity to alleviate the pressure.
In game 6, in Milwaukee, the Bucks brought a championship back to Milwaukee for the first time since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in green, in 1971. Giannis cemented himself as a legend with a 50-point closeout game where he was practically unstoppable, and Middleton hit a clutch dagger with under a minute remaining to put the game out of reach.
The Bucks showed their mettle, and now have a championship to validate their years of struggle. With the major pieces of their roster largely intact for at least another year, Milwaukee will have the chance to run it back next season, and their fans likely won’t have to wait another 50 years for their next victory.
