NBA Finals: Outstanding Antetokounmpo leads Bucks to first title in 50 years

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Giannis Antetokounmpo after winning the title

Photo: FIRS MAURY / EPA

Thanks to the outstanding Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks are again champions of the North American professional basketball league NBA after half a century.

The team prevailed in the sixth final game against the Phoenix Suns 105: 98 and won the series 4: 2.

Antetokounmpo was unstoppable: 17,000 spectators in the Fiserv Forum and at least another 50,000 around the hall saw 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks from the 26-year-old.

"I wanted to do this in this town and with these guys," Antetokounmpo said.

The exceptional athlete was recognized as the most valuable player (MVP) of the final series without any controversy.

After a nervous start, the Bucks got their nerves under control and moved away to eight points for the first time at 15: 7.

By the end of the first quarter, the hosts increased the lead to 13 points (29:16).

But then they lost control and only hit four out of 20 litters.

The Suns turned the game around before the break, at halftime the guests were 47:42 ahead.

Decision in the last quarter

At 56:55 the Bucks took the lead again for the first time, after the third quarter it was 77:77 - everything was open.

Antetokounmpo had with his 37 points at this point only three points less than all his teammates combined.

In the final quarter, the Bucks took the lead first and didn't let the Suns get close.

For the only time before, the Bucks had won the title in 1971.

Back then, the stars of the team were Oscar Robertson and the young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who later shaped an era at the Los Angeles Lakers and won five other titles.

The two-time MVP Antetokounmpo can be expected to have a similar career.

Congratulations from LeBron James and Kevin Durant

"I hope that in 15 or 20 years my jersey will be hanging up there with Oscar and Kareem," said Antetokounmpo, referring to the numbers on the back of the two models, which are no longer available.

His elite colleagues from the NBA congratulated on Twitter.

"You absolutely deserve this shit," wrote Los Angels Lakers' LeBron James.

Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) had "nothing but respect" for the new champion.

For Suns old star Chris Paul (26 points), the dream of the first title did not come true again.

The 36-year-old came to Phoenix last summer and made a young team around the top talents Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton a championship candidate.

mfu / dpa / sid