Bucks’ Game 5 comeback came close to matching this Celtics record originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals couldn’t have started much worse for the Milwaukee Bucks, who found themselves trailing by 16 points on the road against the Phoenix Suns at the end of the first quarter.
But the Bucks fought back and ultimately won 123-119 to move within a single victory of winning their second championship in franchise history. Bucks guard Jrue Holliday’s clutch steal and alley-oop to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the final minute of the fourth quarter helped seal Milwaukee’s pivotal win.
Milwaukee also made some NBA Finals history with its comeback.
The Bucks overcame the second-largest deficit to begin a second quarter in an NBA Finals win. The largest deficit to start a second quarter ever overcome in an NBA Finals victory came in 2008 when the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 at Staples Center to take a 3-1 series lead.
The Celtics at one point trailed by 24 points in that Game 4, but key contributions from The Big 3 (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen) and role players such as Eddie House and James Posey turned the tide for Boston in the second half.
The Celtics won the 2008 NBA Finals with a blowout Game 6 win on homecourt at TD Garden. The Bucks are hoping for a similar ending when they host the Suns in Milwaukee for Tuesday night’s Game 6.