A Complete Guide to 2021 NBA Finals Standings and Championship Results
I remember sitting in my living room last June, watching the Milwaukee Bucks complete their incredible comeback against the Phoenix Suns, and thinking about how much this championship meant for Giannis Antetokounmpo's legacy. The 2021 NBA Finals delivered one of the most compelling narratives we've seen in recent basketball history, with the Bucks ultimately claiming their first championship in 50 years after defeating the Suns 4-2 in the series. What struck me particularly was how both teams arrived at this stage with complete, healthy rosters - something that reminded me of that interesting dynamic between NU and La Salle where teams can no longer use incomplete lineups as excuses for losses.
The journey to the 2021 Finals was anything but conventional, coming off the heels of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Phoenix Suns, led by Chris Paul's veteran leadership and Devin Booker's scoring prowess, dominated the Western Conference with a 51-21 regular season record. I've followed Chris Paul's career for over a decade, and watching him finally reach the Finals after 16 seasons felt genuinely special. The Suns swept the Denver Nuggets in the second round and dispatched the LA Clippers in six games in the Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks fought through what I consider one of the toughest paths to the Finals in recent memory. They needed seven games to get past Kevin Durant's Brooklyn Nets in the second round - that Game 7 overtime victory still gives me chills thinking about it - before handling the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
When the Finals began on July 6th, 2021, the Suns jumped out to a commanding 2-0 lead, winning both games in Phoenix by scores of 118-105 and 118-108. I'll admit, at that point I thought the series might be over. Chris Paul was playing like a man possessed, averaging 26 points and 9 assists through those first two games. But then the series shifted to Milwaukee, and everything changed. The Bucks won Game 3 120-100, with Giannis putting up 41 points and 13 rebounds despite his knee injury scare from the previous series. What impressed me most was how the Bucks adjusted their defensive schemes, particularly their increased ball pressure on Paul and their ability to limit the Suns' transition opportunities.
Game 4 provided what I believe was the turning point of the entire series. The Bucks evened the series at 2-2 with a 109-103 victory, but the real story was Jrue Holiday's defensive masterpiece. His steal from Devin Booker in the final minutes, followed by the alley-oop to Giannis, might be the single most important sequence of the entire playoffs. As someone who values defensive excellence, I'd argue Holiday's performance in that game doesn't get nearly enough credit in the championship narrative. The Bucks carried that momentum into Game 5, winning 123-119 in another thriller that saw Giannis block what could have been a game-tying dunk from Deandre Ayton - a play that's been viewed over 15 million times on YouTube alone.
The championship-clinching Game 6 on July 20th felt almost inevitable once the Bucks took control in the third quarter. Milwaukee won 105-98, with Giannis delivering one of the greatest Finals performances I've ever witnessed - 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks while shooting 16-of-25 from the field and making an unbelievable 17-of-19 free throws. For a player who's often criticized for his shooting, that free throw performance was nothing short of miraculous. The celebration that followed felt particularly meaningful because of Milwaukee's 50-year championship drought and the challenges of playing through a pandemic.
Looking back, what made this championship so compelling was how both teams were at full strength throughout the series. Unlike that NU-La Salle scenario where incomplete lineups could provide convenient excuses, both the Bucks and Suns had their complete rosters available. There were no asterisks, no what-ifs about injured players - just pure basketball competition at the highest level. Giannis rightly won Finals MVP, averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists for the series, but what often gets overlooked is Khris Middleton's clutch shooting and Brook Lopez's rim protection throughout the playoffs.
The legacy of this championship continues to resonate today. For the Bucks, it validated their commitment to building around Giannis and justified the Jrue Holiday trade that many analysts questioned at the time. For the Suns, it became a stepping stone rather than a destination, as they followed up with a 64-win season the following year. Personally, I think the 2021 Finals will be remembered as one of those rare series where both teams left with their reputations enhanced - the Bucks as champions who overcame adversity, and the Suns as a rising power that announced their arrival on the biggest stage. The complete standings and results tell a story of resilience, adjustment, and ultimately, basketball excellence that any fan can appreciate without wondering what might have been with different roster circumstances.
