Officially Adopting The World Champion Milwaukee Bucks

Since the Thunder might actually be tanking again this season…I’m making it official … I’m adopting the Milwaukee Bucks and giving them a song at the same time.

Kind of like someone in St. Louis did with the song Gloria the year the Blues won the Cup.

I mean..in reality when I gave the Bucks Livin’ On A Prayer before Game 4 it to me changed the entire flow of the NBA Finals.

So Sam Presti…tank away, bruh. Mikey Jackson isn’t screwing around with you this coming season waiting till late December to figure out WTF you’re doing with the once proud Thunder basketball program.

Even at this point if you acquire Tyler Herro…I can’t take you seriously any longer.

Let’s repeat like the ’94-’95 Houston Rockets since that’s who these Bucks with Greek Freak somewhat remind me of after last night.

LET’S GO BUCKS!

Of course…maybe if I were given some direct responsibilty in the personnel decisions heading into the NBA Draft on July 29th I could possibly soften my position. Mr. Presti… Call me if you want to become relevant again the Northwest Divsion. I don’t do the on my knees thing like Little Nick Gallo and Royce Young.

What have you got to lose?

Milwaukee Bucks In Six…105-98

I’m happy for Giannis and the city of Milwaukee. This was a very cool night…especially for Giannis and Khris Middleton.

I’ll write more about the game tomorrow night.

What a great night for the NBA and both Milwaukee and Phoenix.

The Phoenix Suns have nothing to regret. They gave what they had. Sometimes the other guy is just a little better.

I don’t mean to be snarky, but Jalen Rose said something tonight after the game which stuck with me when he said there are two kinds of NBA championship rings. The one Giannis just won is the one which means a little more.

Giannis stuck with his city, his organization, his coach and his teammates—and there should be something to be said for that.

Game 6: Elimination Tuesday in Milwaukee

So here we are tomorrow evening in Milwaukee with the Bucks on the cusp of claiming the Larry O’Brien Trophy in recognition of world basketball superiority.

Vegas has Milwaukee at home as a five point favorite. That’s exactly where I would have it. If Giannis was a dependable free throw shooter I’d probably have the Bucks at -6.5 or -7… but he’s not reliable from the charity line.

That’s a wild card which hasn’t come into play yet in these Finals, but it lurks right beneath the surface of basketball reality.

Otherwise…Giannis has shown the world he is ready to assume the mantle as the Chosen One to supplant LeBron. His defense, rebounding, passing, and offensive instincts have all come into place.

No one can guard him…he’s the Greek Freak. Imagine if he could just saunter up to the free throwline and hit 10 of 12 every game like the wispy cupcake Kevin Durant.

But Giannis didn’t leave his team to go play with Steph and Klay to win two token rings…so this blogger admires his determination to bring the city of Milwaukee a championship just before Aaron Rodgers leaves town to play for a coach who believes in him.

The Buck star trifecta of Giannis, Jrue, and Khris were sublime in Game 5 on the road in what was a quasi elimination game for the Bucks the other way. The three stars responded with a combined 88 points and Jrue Holiday either by scoring or assisting accouted for 58 points.

Plus, Connaughton, Bobby Portis, and PJ Tucker ON THE ROAD gave Coach B more than he probably was counting on from his bench playing inside of Walkingstick Arena. His team clicked on every clylinder except for Giannis shooting free throws.

Chris Paul, bless his heart, said it best to Rachael Nichols after Game 4 when he said, “All these feel good storylines won’t ever be remembered if we don’t win the series.”

Good for CP3 for being so forthright. He’s exactly right. This is about winning and making winning plays on the biggest stage under the brightest lights.

I’ve been so reliably prescient lately I have to pinch myself to not be overconfident. But I like the Bucks and I like them to win by five on a push.

Play this again for your team in the locker room Coach B. It fits them. You have a group of really good guys who deserve this moment.

I think I’ll play my favorite Cranberries song/video and fall asleep. It’s a shame they didn’t have this song in Four Weddings and A Funeral.

And this is for Chris Paul who is really a nice guy. His brother almost leased the house across the street from us back in the Katrina days. Chris—just to prove you don’t have to win the game to experience a happy ending. Good luck, buddy.

After Dark

I’m whipped. The emotional tumult of covering these NBA Finals has worn me a little thin coupled with the recent Oklahoma weather.

This song always puts me to sleep within five minutes.

It’s such a peaceful melody.

Anyway…embrace the journey and go win Monday in whatever it is you do on Mondays.

Peace.

Jrue Holiday Rings The Bell In Game 5

It was supposed to be a night of legacy reckoning for Chris Paul. That never happened because Chris Paul didn’t even have the ball in his hands on the game’s most critical possession with the Suns one point down with the ball under the thirty second mark.

Devin Booker had the ball and what transpired will become NBA lore if the Bucks go on to win the series in Game 6 on Tuesday in Milwaukee.

Booker drove the lane was halted by both Giannis and PJ Tucker. Jrue Holiday trailing Devin Booker then stole the ball and fed the Greek Freak for a transition dunk which gave the Bucks enough air to preserve an iconic 123-119 Game 5 road win over the Phoenix Suns.

Milwaukee has their road win.

On the night… Jrue, Khris Middleton, and Giannis combined for 88 points.

But this was Jrue Holiday’s night. This was his game. He was the best player on the floor.

Jrue hit his first shot from the left elbow on the Bucks’ first possession and his confidence never waivered even after he committed his second foul in the first period.

This was Jrue Holiday Night on ABC with the basketball world seeing in the season’s biggest game so far what Jrue Holiday is all about as a basketball player.

Jrue finished with 27 points and 13 assists and had a team best +14 rating. His 13 assists led to 31 points for the Bucks. So on the night while being the best defensive guard on the floor… Jrue was responsible for 58 of Milwaukee’s points in a road game with the lights shining the brightest.

Jrue Holiday…you just rang the proverbial bell at Mikey Jackson’s underground blog.

I’ve been babbling about you all season being the most important player to switch teams and you made me look good.

Top shelf.

I love what you said about your father giving you advice between games in these Finals.

Job well done.

Like Jrue said in the post game presser the Bucks have now won three straight against the Suns and with the exception Greek Freak’s free throw shooting look to be in a groove as a team. I don’t think Milwaukee really cares all that much about Chris Paul’s legacy at this point.

They just want to win the championship in front of their own fans in their arena and in Deer District on Tuesday night.

Just don’t let up. And I’m also pretty sure Jrue’s father has said some things in private to his son about Chris Paul’s game in relation to Jrue’s overall game.

This isn’t complex. Phoenix has no one who can guard Giannis or Khris straight up. The only defense they have right now is the free throwline when Giannis goes to the line. BTW..otherwise I thought Giannis played superb in Game 5. His decision making and interior passing were as good as I’ve ever seen with him. Make your free throws…kid and you’ll be going to Walt Disney or something with a ring.

Game 5 Pre-Game Music

Generally speaking the Game 5 winner usually goes on to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Both teams have won fourteen games to date in this tourament. Both teams need two wins. But Milwaukee needs a road win.

If I was Coach Bud… I’d have this drifting through the locker room.

This is one of those moments you want Giannis, Khris, and Jrue to fully understand the significance of this game.

Is Chris Paul A Top 5 All-Time Point Guard?

Not with with me he’s not unless he rings the bell in these NBA Finals.

He made the Finals…finally. BIG F–KING DEAL!

His team beat the Lakers without Anthony Davis and Lebron playing hurt. His team beat the Denver Nuggets without Jamal Murray. His team beat the LA Clippers without Kawhi Leonard. The Bucks are playing without the kid from Nova..so in essence the Suns in these playoffs haven’t played a totally healthy team in this run of theirs.

Chris Paul is clearly a Top 10 point guard all-time even if the suns lose to the Bucks. But I would not put him above either Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, or even John Stockton if the Suns don’t win the title.

If that fair of me?

Yeah.. I think it is because Chris Paul is a player in a results oriented profession. Mike Gundy is in a results oriented profession and is 1-15 against OU. Same thing. Gundy is basically Gary Patterson with a mullet and without the girth. Think aboutt that and you’ll realize I’m right. Mike Gundy has won one more Big 12 Championship than Travis Ford. As in one.

I know that sounds cold and callous, but this is about winning. I can assure you no one is talking about the Montreal Canadians’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals one week after Tampa rang the bell.

Ring the bell… Chris Paul.

My point guard Top 5 list goes 1 Magic, 2 Oscar 3 Steph, 4 Bob Cousy, and 5 Isiah.

Why would Chris Paul be above any of these five iconic point guards?

I love the State Farm commericials, but to get on my top five list you need to win this series, Chris Paul.

CP3…you’re not the football coach at O State. Going 8-4 every year and playing in the Alamo Bowl doesn’t get Mike Gundy anywhere with me and you not winning a ‘ship is pretty much the same thing.

This is about winning.

Dude…I went to inner city John Marshall. You wanna make my Top Five list…ring my bell.

Game 5 Tonight In Phoenix

So here we are with Milwaukee in Phoenix tonight in this Sleepless in Seattle NBA Finals.

So many human storyliness which aren’t measured by a bunch of nerdy geeks on a metric scale.

But this isn’t about anyone else right now except Chris Paul and his legacy as one of the best point guards in NBA history.

I like the Bucks more in a Game 7 than I do tonight in Phoenix.

For the sake of Chris Paul’s legacy…. I just cannot fathom he will not pull it together enough with those great fans in Phoenix to get a win in Game 5.

Real NBA Playoff basketball is what we’re experiencing right now. Not bubble basketball. The raw human emotion of the ups and downs …the ebbs and flow of confidence or the lack of confidence.

This is why we play, coach, and blog sports. This is why we compete. This is what drives us to compete as humans.

Chris Paul has had a lot to think about these last two days.

A lot.

I like Phoenix tonight in Game 5.

Hello… Darkness my old friend.

Chris Paul wins that battle tonight.

Game 4 Thoughts The Night After

It was a good night for my obscure little underground blog. I picked the Bucks to win exactly by six points and for Khris Middleton to have the game’s biggest imprint. I also said Jrue Holiday would have a secondary imprint in this game and he did even though he had a tough night shooting the ball.

Jrue hounded Chris Paul and on the night CP3 had five turnovers and several times looked like Russell Westbrook out there being detonated by dynamite.

Circle this one in red…in the last three games Chris Paul has a combined 15 turnovers. That’s a storyline as we prepare for Game 5 in Phoenix on Saturday night.

Can Jrue Holiday continue to get under Chris Paul’s skin and create turnovers and points in transition for the Milwaukee Bucks?

The Monty Williams story is a beautiful human story. It’s like Sleepless in Seattle with an NBA head coach having his team in the Finals.

But I like the Bucks. I think they have the better team. Giannis, Khris, Jrue, Patrick, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis have grown on me. I like them. Nothing against the Suns…I just like the Bucks a little more. They beat Brooklyn on the road in a Game 7….don’t sleep on that.

This series is reminding us of how lame the NBA Bubble Finals were last year. It’s been tough sledding for both of these teams on the road in this series.

Jrue Holiday knows he needs two more wins to become an NBA champion…and for that to happen he has to disrupt and shut down Chris Paul. That’s Jrue Holiday’s job in what now is a best two out of three series for the NBA World Championship and the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

And from an offensive standpoint both Giannis and Khris have to score the ball while getting enough help from Connaughton, Lopez, and the likeable Bobby Portis from Arkansas.

This Game 5 could be epic. I need to kick back and drink some wine and sing some with Sting before I make my Game 5 prediction.

Tuscany and Deer Creek..there’s not really all that much difference.

Chris Paul, buddy…this is a song for you from the Milwaukee fans in Deer District.

Here comes the rain.

Milwaukee By Six In Game 4

THIS WAS A GREAT BASKETBALL GAME!!!!

And this is why Sam Presti would never allow someone like Mike Jackson to have a press credential for OKC Thunder media pressers.

Namely—instead of having pet puppets in the room like Little Nick Gallo and Low Energy Royce Young asking the questions…he would have to be dealing with someone who actually knows both college and NBA hoops.

Near death and in a state of coma….I’ve forgotten more hoops than the two Presti Pups. But they are adorable aren’t they?

I called it by Milwaukee by six in my rambling pregame and it was the Bucks by six in what I would describe as an instant classic.

This game had everything.

If Milwaukee ends up winning the O’Brien Trophy the city of Milwaukee and Deer District will look back to early in the fourth quarter of this game and say …”This Game 4 was a defining moment amongst many for the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks.”

The Bucks were down by nine early in the fourth period and Khris Middleton and Giannis simply willed their team to win on a night in which Jrue Holiday could have been standing next to the Pacific Ocean and not been able to hit it with a basketball.

If you love basketball and I love basketball…this was like a hoops drug. This was pure cocaine. This wasn’t about X’s and O’s — this was about Milwaukee in essence staving off elimination and drawing even at two games apiece in these NBA Finals.

There was so much raw humanity out there in Game 4 it will require much more thought as we near Game 5 in Phoenix on Saturday night.

Here’s what I’m circling in red…Jrue Holiday was simply horrific shooting the basketball in Game 4 and yet the Bucks still won.

I’m circling that in red on my Beat Vegas Like A Stepchild clipboard.

But on this night Jrue’s two buddies…Khris and Giannis and maybe even Pat Connaughton bailed him out.

I look at Jrue Holiday kind of like I looked at Howie Kendrick on that Washington Nationals championship team.

I look for the basketball Gods to be saving a moment for Jrue Holiday before everything is said and done in these NBA Finals.

What a great basketball game.

I have to admit…I’ve fallen in love with Deer District. This is one for Deer District after Game 4.