Giannis Antetokounmpo Could Make Finals MVP History
The Milwaukee Bucks crushed the dreams of people who were hoping for a “Suns in 4” result in the NBA Finals, as they took down Phoenix in Game 3 on Sunday night. With the series now set at 2-1 in favor of the Suns, we’re in for an exciting finish in what’s been a wild NBA playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo put up his second-straight 40-point performance, but this time it resulted in a win, unlike Game 2 when he put up 42 points but the Bucks still fell short.
Despite the Game 3 loss, the Suns still find themselves as -230 favorites to win the NBA Championship, which is an implied probability of 69.70%.
With the Suns still in control of the series, but Antetokounmpo easily being the best player on the court so far, there’s a possibility that we’ll see something happen for the first time since 1969: a player on the losing team winning NBA Finals MVP.
The first year that the Finals MVP award was handed out was in 1969, and it also happens to be the only time a player on the losing team won the award. Jerry West, the guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, was named Finals MVP despite losing to the Boston Celtics.
West averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in the NBA Finals and was certainly the best player in the series.
Antetokounmpo’s are eerily similar to West’s through the first three games. He’s currently averaging 34.3 points, 14 .0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this series.
It's not going to happen, but the last time the NBA Finals MVP was given to someone on the losing team, it was Jerry West in 1969.
— Iain MacMillan (@IainMacBets) July 12, 2021
West's stats in the 1969 NBA Finals: 37.9 points, 7.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds
Giannis' stats through Game 3: 34.3 points, 4.7 assists, 14 rebounds
The odds at WynnBET also reflect the idea that Giannis could win Finals MVP even if the Suns win the series. WynnBET currently has his odds to win the award set at +200, behind only Chris Paul at -260.
That means his odds to win Finals MVP are actually shorter than the Bucks odds to win the NBA Championship, as it currently has their odds to complete the series comeback set at +220.
It’s likely not going to happen, especially with the storylines surrounding Chris Paul, but if the series continues like at has, there’s a possibility that Antetokounmpo becomes the second player in NBA history to achieve the feat.
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