‘All-time highlight’: Bucks a win away from 50-year NBA first

The Milwaukee Bucks are a win away from the franchise’s first title since 1971 — and they sealed the fact in ridiculous style.

That is one incredible shot. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The Milwaukee Bucks are just one win from claiming the franchises first NBA Championship in 50 years after a stunning 123-119 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns will now have to win at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday AEST to force a game seven, as the Bucks stole a win in Phoenix

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The Bucks have had to be dragged back from a 2-0 deficit by the side’s two-time MVP superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose commanding performances brought it back to a 3-2 lead for Milwaukee.

But after a slow start to the series, his teammate Kris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have joined the party as the Bucks move to the cusp of immortality.

In a high scoring game five, the Bucks held off the Suns 123-119, putting the exclamation point on the victory with a stunning finish.

With the Suns nearly able to smell the paint at their own end and one point down, Holiday came up with a clutch steal on Devin Booker, before the alley-oop to Antetokounmpo to go up by three — and draw a foul.

The moment of the match for the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo had nothing but praise for his teammate and the clutch play.

“Big time steal by Holiday and great pass,” Antetokounmpo said. “He trusted me, threw the ball up there. It was a great play by Holiday.”

Holiday was humble, saying: “I was just in the right place at the right time”.

“At first I thought he was going to shoot it and I was going to be behind him to try and contest and maybe try to bother him,” Holiday added. “But once he pump faked I felt like maybe I should stay down and he literally turned into me … right place at the right time.”

The internet lost its collective mind over the play, with Colorado based reporter George Stoia calling it “one of the greatest plays in NBA Finals history”.

Wow what a win! Phoenix was about to steal that. That Jrue Holiday steal to Giannis alley-oop was an all-time highlight. Man!!!

— Payman Benz (@PaymanBenz) July 18, 2021

Make a statue of that Jrue Holiday steal and give it its own stage at Summerfest.

— Myron Medcalf (@MedcalfByESPN) July 18, 2021

What an awesome play by Jrue Holiday to steal the ball from Booker, start the break, and lob a perfect alley to Giannis. So clutch. Holiday and Giannis are NBA All-Defensive First Team. Giannis had the clutch block in Game 4. Holiday gets the winning strip in Game 5. #Defense

— Jim Matheny (@JimMatheny) July 18, 2021

I still can't believe Jrue Holiday threw this pass. Ballsy play from Holiday. Giannis gets another highlight poster from his first Finals. LeBron was impressed. That poor young lady in the white & purple Jordan 1s couldn't watch. pic.twitter.com/pu3qwhBZty

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) July 18, 2021

I’m still thinking about Jrue Holiday’s decision to throw the lob to Giannis at that point in the game. Up 1. Game 5. 10 seconds left. So much could’ve gone wrong. But Holiday didn’t hesitate. Giannis wanted it and Holiday threw a perfect pass. Talk about clutch.

— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) July 18, 2021

The Bucks are just one win away.

Holiday also put the win in perspective with the main result still to come.

“One game away,” Holiday said. “We can’t get too high on the horse. We know the last game is the hardest to win. We know they will come out and play desperate. We’ve got to do the same thing.”

Led by32 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton’s 29 points and Holiday’s 27 points and 13 assists powered the Bucks to victory.

For Phoenix, every game is now sudden death, something that isn't lost of Suns star Deandre Ayton.

“Tables are turned. Now we’re the desperate team,” Ayton said. “We had our chances of being up and trying to finish the job. They’re up and now we got to go get it.”

Booker, who scored a game-high 40 points, hit a layup and a three-pointer and Chris Paul followed with a layup to pull the Suns within 120-119.

— with AFP

Originally published as ‘All-time highlight’: Bucks a win away from 50-year NBA first