Game 6 of the NBA Finals is soon approaching and the Milwaukee Bucks have the advantage.
The Bucks were able to steal Game 5 on the road from the Phoenix Suns to take a 3-2 series lead.
Game 6 is going to be in Milwaukee and the thought process is that they will win it all at home.
However, it is not a forgone conclusion that they will.
If they were to win the series, then who is winning the prestigious Finals MVP award?
There are two candidates from the Bucks: Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Both of them have had excellent games, but there can be only one winner.
Let’s make the case for both players and decide the recipient.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The best player for the Bucks is Antetokounmpo.
He has been a dominant player for the past couple of years; culminating in two MVP awards.
This series has been special for the superstar.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game.
He has been a force on the defensive end as well.
He is averaging 1.4 steals with 1.2 blocks per game as well.
The all-around game has been epic for him, while he is shooting 61.2 percent from the field.
Giannis' averages in the Finals:
32.2 PPG
61% FG
13 RPG
5.6 APG
Unreal. pic.twitter.com/CAzlZwOCFa— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 18, 2021
The Suns have had no answer for him.
Pure dominance in the paint has been the focal point for Antetokounmpo.
His three-point attempts have been down throughout this series, which is a plus for the Bucks.
The alley-oop to close out Game 5 was his signature moment of the series.
Antetokounmpo has a great chance of winning this series and claiming the Finals MVP.
Khris Middleton
The closer for the Bucks has been Middleton.
That has been the case for this series too.
Game 4 was a great performance by him, as he scored 40 points to give the Bucks the win.
Khris Middleton tonight:
40 PTS*
6 REB
4 AST
15-33 FG*Playoff career-high pic.twitter.com/SxiaAvXh4W
— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 15, 2021
Then Game 5 was another great game with clutch shots at the end.
Players across the league are now vouching for Middleton to win the Finals MVP.
If bucks win this series how many votes does middy @Khris22m get for Finals MVP ? Bruh been serving and closing
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) July 18, 2021
He can be inconsistent at times, but the last few games have been special.
Middleton is currently averaging 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
The Bucks need him to score and do it often.
Winning Finals MVP will be a great achievement for a player that nobody views as a star in this league.
Middleton can prove all of the doubters wrong.
Verdict
The winner of the Finals MVP should go to the best player and the most consistent.
Legendary performances have to be rewarded.
However, you need to have a series filled with those types of performances.
For this series, that is Antetokounmpo.
He is the focal point on both ends of the court for the Bucks.
The reason why other players on the team get open shots is due to the Suns focusing on Antetokounmpo on every possession.
Without him, the Bucks are out of the series.
They need him to be the best player in this series and that is exactly what he has been thus far.
