Giannis Antetokounmpo Becomes Latest to Achieve Historical but Unwanted Feat After LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal

The Phoenix Suns have now taken an almost unassailable 2-0 lead in the 2021 NBA Finals over the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. giving it their all, they have come up short on both occasions so far, thanks to some impeccable basketball from the Suns.

Devin Booker leads Suns riot

The Phoenix Suns romped over the Bucks in Game-2 of the deciding 7-match series. After taking a small lead in the first quarter, the Bucks crumbled in Q2, getting outplayed 16-30 by the Suns. It was Devin Booker who was the deciding factor yet again, scoring 31 points in the 44 minutes he was on the court.

READ MORE: ‘It’s Not Over’: LeBron James & Others React to Devin Booker and Phoenix Suns Beating Bucks in NBA Finals Game 2

For the Bucks, it was marquee player Giannis Antetokounmpo who shone, with 42 points in 40 minutes. However, this was not enough for the men in white and green. Giannis did not receive any concrete support, as nobody else managed more than 20 points for Milwaukee. It is hard to imagine what the Bucks would’ve been in the absence of Giannis, considering he was on a one-man show in Game-2.

Giannis Antetokounmpo on the wrong side of records

The Bucks were on par with what was required from them if you ignore the 2nd quarter. The Suns’ defense was superior on the night, managing to block out the potential support for Giannis. Added to this, the Bucks suffered far too many turnovers in the offensive end. Suns’ Mikal Bridges had one of his best games of the season, and he combined with Chris Paul for 50 points, meaning that Monty Williams’ men were the better team in all departments.

The Suns’ outrageous effort, however, could not overshadow the heroics of Power Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. In a game where P. J. Tucker and Khris Middleton had sub-par outings, the ‘Greek Freak’ was the best individual player on the court. Sadly enough, all his efforts went in vain, landing him an unwanted record. Giannis became the 4th man since the NBA-ABA union to have 40 points and 10 rebounds in a Finals loss. He joined a formidable list of stars that includes LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley.

All said and done, it will be an uphill climb from here onwards if the Bucks are to stage a comeback in the Finals. While fans can surely pin their hopes on Giannis’ heroics, there is only so much a single player can do by himself. The Bucks will desperately be praying that the rest of their squad returns to their indomitable self at the earliest.