Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks Eliminate Kyrie Irving, Celtics in Game 5 Rout
The Milwaukee Bucks finished their second-round victory over the Boston Celtics and clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001 with a 116-91 win in Wednesday's Game 5 at Fiserv Forum.
While Boston won the first contest, Milwaukee displayed its dominance as the top seed and won the next four to advance.
Giannis Antetokounmpo spearheaded the effort with 20 points, eight assists, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals with a plus-minus rating of plus-33, per ESPN. He was one of seven Bucks in double figures, as Eric Bledsoe (18 points and six rebounds) and Khris Middleton (19 points, eight rebounds and five assists) provided support.
Kyrie Irving's shooting woes continued for the Celtics, and he finished 6-of-21 from the field for 15 points and once again failed to outplay Antetokounmpo.
Convincing Victory Over Celtics Cements Bucks as Title Favorites
The moment LeBron James left for the Western Conference is the moment the Celtics were supposed to be overwhelming favorites to reach the NBA Finals.
After all, this team reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year without Irving and Gordon Hayward and appeared primed to ride their returns to the NBA Finals. The Bucks missed the memo, steamrolling their way to the No. 1 seed in the regular season and then making quick work of Irving and Co. in the second round.
Discussions about Milwaukee's title chances start with the obvious—Giannis.
The series was hanging in the balance after the two teams split the first two games, but Antetokounmpo rose to the occasion in the face of adversity. He tallied 32 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals in Game 3 and followed with 39 points and 16 boards in Game 4.
Just like that, the Bucks were in full control with their MVP candidate playing like the best player in the world.
It takes more than just one player to be championship favorites, though, and Milwaukee has a formidable supporting cast as well. Middleton took over Game 2 with 28 points and seven three-pointers and once again proved to be the ideal postseason complement to Antetokounmpo. He can drill threes when defenders collapse and create his own shot so all the pressure is not on No. 34's shoulders.
Elsewhere, the trio of Bledsoe, George Hill and Pat Connaughton held their own against Irving in this series and should be ready for Kyle Lowry or Ben Simmons in the conference finals after passing that test.
Milwaukee also has plenty of much-needed three-point shooting around Antetokounmpo in Mike Budenholzer's system, which was on full display when Nikola Mirotic and Malcolm Brogdon extended the lead to double digits with triples in the final minute of Wednesday's first half.
That alone is enough to reach the NBA Finals as the Eastern Conference's top seed with home-court advantage, but Brogdon's return elevates the Bucks to another level. Wednesday was his first game since March 15 because of a foot injury, and he provides another secondary scorer (15.6 points per game) alongside the pair of All-Stars and formidable defense for the point guards to come.
The Bucks' defensive rating was 101.6 when he was on court and 103.5 when he was off it during the regular season, per NBA.com.
Defense is a common theme in Milwaukee after it boasted the league's best defensive rating this year. The Celtics had momentum heading into the second quarter, but the Bucks swarmed their shooters, cut off Irving's penetration and seized control by holding the visitors to only 39 points in the first half.
The Bucks have a championship formula with an elite superstar, All-Star secondary option, talented supporting cast and stifling defense. They've also played a mere nine games through two rounds and haven't had to tax their starters, as all but one of their wins came by double digits entering Game 5. As a result, this team appears ready to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
That light workload further separates them from the remaining teams.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a home win away from forcing a Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors, but Joel Embiid's health remains a concern. Toronto's supporting cast has been inconsistent at best around Kawhi Leonard, and Milwaukee is as primed as any team to slow the 2014 NBA Finals MVP with its stout defense and the ability to put Antetokounmpo on him during crunch time.
In the West, the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets have traded home wins and appear destined for a Game 7 in their physically grueling series. While either one would be a potentially gigantic obstacle for whichever team makes it out of the East, this series has also exacted a price.
It will surely take something out of whichever team prevails, and that is before a Western Conference Finals showdown against either the Denver Nuggets or Portland Trail Blazers.
Add that to the home-court advantage the Bucks will enjoy for the rest of the playoffs, and they look like the title favorites at this point.
What's Next?
The Bucks turn their attention to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will play the winner of the series between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers. Boston enters an offseason that could feature Irving departing after he declines his player option for 2019-20.
