After a thrilling Game 5, the Milwaukee Bucks are expected to aggressively rally for another win while the Phoenix Suns are eager to make up for their previous performance, building up the excitement for NBA Finals Game 6.
The Suns were off to an impressive start in Game 5, leading 21-37 in the first quarter. But the Bucks showed great defense and stellar offense throughout the game, chipping off the lead to ultimately lead the series with a win, 123-119.
As we await the defining Game 6, so many questions are on everyone's minds. Will Paul bounce back from his sloppy performance in the previous games? Can Khris Middleton continue to be the Suns' scoring machine? With the championship at stake, both teams' star players have been showcasing exceptional strength but who's the clear NBA Finals MVP 2021? Here are the experts' predictions.
Antetokounmpo The MVP Favorite
FS1's Nick Wright firmly believes that Giannis Antetokounmpo should bag the award regardless if the Bucks lose the series. He reasons that the 'Greek Freak' is one of the two players in NBA Finals history to have scored 40 points with at least 10 rebounds in back-to-back games since the great Shaquille O' Neal.
Aside from his dominant offensive presence, Antetokounmpo is also a great defender having already received the Defensive Player of The Year twice. However, a player from the losing team is rarely awarded the NBA Finals MVP title like in Lebron James' controversial loss to Andre Iguodala in the 2015 NBA Finals despite his incredible performance. But if the Bucks win the series, Antetokounmpo seems to be the clear frontrunner to win the award.
"Kareem should've won Finals MVP as a losing player in 1974. LeBron clearly should've won it in 2015. And right now, it's not close. The best player, the MVP is Giannis. ... If it goes 6 or 7, it'll be a travesty if someone other than Giannis wins the award." — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/hm1UeiAZMh
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) July 13, 2021
Booker's Historic Postseason Continues
For ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the 2021 NBA Finals MVP award should go to Devin Booker. He already made history by breaking the record for most points scored in his first postseason appearance. The record was held for 54 years by Rick Barry who scored 521 points in 1967.
Booker also scored 38 points in three quarters during Game 4, which is tied for the second-most points made through three quarters in an NBA Finals Game over the last 25 years. He missed bagging the record by 2 points, which is still held by Stephen Curry who scored 40 points during the 2019 NBA Finals.
Chris Paul Completes The Story Of A Lifetime
When the Phoenix Suns made the NBA Finals, Chris Paul was the crowd favorite to win Finals MVP. However, after Game 1, CP3's scores consistently went south from 32, 23, 19 then to a measly 10 in Game 4. If Paul wants to win the award (and the championship) he needs to work incredibly hard to break the Bucks' stellar defense.
It is also not helpful that he has committed 4 turnovers in the past 3 games. We all know that the 'Point God' can deliver a perfect game any day. But he really needs to start orchestrating better offense for the Suns and contribute to the team's offensive plays, which have fallen heavily on Booker and Ayton. If Paul can go back to his "old self" in the next games, he may just get the comeback he needs to win the NBA Finals MVP award along with his first championship ring.
Emergence Of Khris Middleton
Michael C. Wright believes that Khris Middleton is in the conversation because he manages to show up whenever it matters most. It is no secret that the Bucks became doubly hard to beat when Middleton is on a roll. Aside from the defensive prowess of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday, the Bucks is already hard to beat but whenever Middleton is playing excellent offense like in Game 4, the Bucks become more of a threat to their opponents. If Middleton continues to improve his game as the series continues, he may even beat Antetokounmpo for the Finals MVP 2021 award. Fans can check the odds of the Nba finals at Unibet IN.
