Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in league history to record 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists in a playoff series. But, somehow, the MVP finalist's contributions weren't enough to help push the reigning champions to the Eastern Conference Finals. A new team is going to capture and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy this summer.
Antetokounmpo's record-breaking performances became an afterthought on Sunday inside TD Garden, as the Bucks were outplayed and overwhelmed by the Boston Celtics, 109-81, in Game 7 of the East semifinals. Antetokounmpo amassed 237 points, 103 rebounds, and 50 assists in the series, and he also became the first player in NBA history to average a 31-14-6 stat-line across an entire postseason. Still, Milwaukee was in dire need of a stand-in sidekick.
"What happened this year without Khris Middleton? Was Giannis able to do it by himself, with these amazing numbers he put up, and the records he broke here?" JR said during the JR SportBrief show on Monday. "C'mon, 20 points and 25 rebounds -- who the hell's doing that? And I don't care who you are. Everybody needs a little bit of help... The Bucks ran out of gas late, and that was all she wrote... The Celtics harassed Antetokounmpo, with good reason.
"He's the most important player. You'd beg for anybody else to beat you. You want to beat up on Giannis... When they won the championship last year, you can say they got to where they were because of injuries. And that's the name of the game. You can only go out there and beat who's in front of you. No, the Bucks aren't destined to win every title with Giannis on their roster. But they're going to continue to be competitive... They'll be fine if they're healthy."
The Bucks didn't only struggle on offense in Game 7 -- they had no answer for the Celtics on the defensive end. Boston drilled a shocking 22 three-pointers, the most all-time in a Game 7, and Grant Williams happened to lead the team in scoring with 27 points. Milwaukee sorely missed Khris Middleton, who missed the entire series due to a left knee injury suffered in Game 2 of the first round.
Antetokounmpo had no choice but to carry the load on his shoulders, and he became the first player with 25 shot attempts in seven straight playoff games since Allen Iverson in 2001, according to ESPN Stats. The 27-year-old finished third in MVP voting this season, as he averaged a career-high 29.9 points with 11.6 boards and 5.8 assists in 67 games. Milwaukee entered the second round with a 17-percent chance to repeat as champions, per FiveThirtyEight.
JR's complete thoughts on Antetokounmpo and the Bucks-Celtics series can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.