The Best of the Day: June 19th, 2021

MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM AN EPIC BUCKS VS. NETS GAME 7 OT THRILLER

1. Jrue Holiday’s Addition is the Reason Milwaukee is as Dangerous as Ever (from 3/4/21)

When Milwaukee gave up a lofty amount of picks for Jrue Holiday over the offseason, it served multiple purposes. The biggest one was to convince its all-world talent Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign with the Bucks long-term. Giving up Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and those future assets have already paid off because the Greek Freak signed his max extension and ensured MIL will be contending for years to come as long as he stays healthy. 

The other main purpose of trading for Jrue Holiday was to add a standout two-way player who is the perfect fit to play alongside Giannis and Khris Middleton as an All-NBA caliber defender with an offensive skillset that’s capable of basically anything on a basketball court. 

The signing of Holiday proved to be a great one, as he was clutch for Milwaukee when it mattered the most. He was big on both ends in the crunch time, with go-ahead buckets and huge defensive stops. His arrival is a major reason why the Bucks were able to defeat the star-studded Nets team and collect their biggest win of the Giannis era so far. 

2. Brooklyn Nets Had the Most Risk of Any Championship Contender (from 4/18/21) 

The star trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden have only played together in a handful games this season. Health, personal reasons, and COVID issues have kept the most high-profile Big 3 from playing many games together this season. Many of the real contenders this season have had issues with missing stars, but Brooklyn has been dealing with it all season.

Philly has missed Joel Embiid, the LA teams played games without their star duos, and Denver, along with Utah, were without a key player for some time. Although Brooklyn has posted an impressive record and overcome this adversity all season long, they were the title favorites under the assumption that all three players would be healthy for the postseason. 

Unfortunately, this was not the case for them. James Harden missed the first few games of their series versus Milwaukee, and Kyrie Irving missed the last couple. This ended up hurting them, as they were eliminated in just the conference semifinals with hopes of a title all year long. Kyrie’s track record of injuries, the lack of continuity, and Harden’s history of poor playoff performances all proved to contribute to the high risk this Nets team had that was too much to overcome. 

3. KD vs. Giannis is Now the Most Significant Matchup in the NBA (from 5/2/21)

KD’s on a mission, and wants to prove that he can win outside a Golden State team who were already proven winners without him, and Giannis is still looking to solidify himself as a champion. Antetokounmpo has won consecutive MVPs, and wants to prove that he is a winner. With these two teams battling in an epic second-round matchup in the East, only one of them would be able to accomplish their goals. 

A playoff matchup between Giannis and KD had much more implications than just the team that would advance to the next round. Both of them would have the opportunity to show who the best player in the league is right now (with LeBron saying he’ll never be 100% again), and even who the possible best team in the league is with the winner instantly being the 2021 Championship favorite. It also has lasting impacts on the future, where they could cement their legacies, or even put themselves higher in the GOAT debate.

With all of that on the line, KD and Giannis became the third duo to each record 40+ points in a Game 7 during an all-time duel. Durant proved he’s one of the greatest scorers ever, while Giannis is reaching new heights after winning the most significant matchup in the NBA.

4. This Milwaukee Team is Built Much Better Than Previous Years (from 5/24/21)

The Bucks squad has seen roster changes this season that have significantly helped them look more like a championship-caliber club. For starters, they brought in Jrue Holiday, who is a proven two-way player in this league. He’s been huge for them on both ends of the court, as well as a great leader for the locker room. 

The former Pelican is proving to be a key addition to their core along with Khris Middleton and Giannis. They also brought in Bryn Forbes, who came from San Antonio and has experience playing under Gregg Popovich, bringing a championship tutelage to Milwaukee. Acquiring P.J. Tucker also brought in a veteran player and leader that has plenty of playoff experience, adding another competitor to a Bucks roster that is built different than before. 

This strong, experienced core has shown that it is exactly what Milwaukee needed, as they are heading back to the conference finals after a disappointing year last season. After the biggest Bucks win since trading away HOF Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975, Milwuakee is now four games away from the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance in almost half a century.

5. Milwaukee Bucks Will Go as Far as Middleton (Not Giannis) Will Take Them (from 6/10/21)

Khris Middleton scored more points in Game 3 than he had in both Games 1 and 2 combined, and shot the ball better from deep and the field in general. Milwaukee won their first game of the series once Middleton performed well, but lost both games beforehand in which he performed below his typical standards. This shows that there is a strong correlation between Middleton’s level of play and the Bucks winning. As important as Giannis is, Middleton is the true x-factor that will decide how far MIL can go in these playoffs. 

Middleton averaged 28.8 points per game in the Bucks’ wins versus the Nets, but scored 18.3 in their losses. Milwaukee needed Khris to step up in order to win the series, and he delivered more often than not, sending them through to the conference finals thanks to the biggest shot of the series that served as the GW in OT thanks to his mid-range fadeaway.

COLORS KEY | FULL BUCKS OUTLOOK 

MIDDLETON WITH A HUGE BUCKET 🥶 pic.twitter.com/KNMIyOYo9y

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 20, 2021

The Bucks win their first Game 7 on the road in franchise history!

They are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals! pic.twitter.com/SyRISZG0RP

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) June 20, 2021

Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day