There is a commonly held belief that the home team must suffer defeat first before we could truly say that the series has begun, and it is reinforced by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks after his team bested the Boston Celtics 97-86, setting the stage for a deciding seventh game this coming Saturday.

The exciting series is notable for the absence of road victories, with both teams winning entirely on their home floor — and Game 6 was more of the same. With Game 7 moving to Boston, a road win is absolutely imperative for Antetokounmpo and the young Bucks.

“In my opinion, this series hasn't started yet,” says the 6-10 Greek as he spoke with TNT following the game. “We gotta go there, we gotta get one at their house.”

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When Milwaukee emerged victorious Thursday night, they notched their sixth straight victory as the home team in the Eastern Conference playoff’s first round. However, if the old adage held true and the series hasn’t truly begun, the fans would have been deprived of a few truly spectacular moments.

From Celtics standout guard Terry Rozier’s winning basket in Game 1 to Bucks sophomore center Thon Maker swatting shots with impunity in Game 3, ending with Antetokounmpo’s stunning heroics, all of them would have been considered moot.

The Bucks now have the opportunity to close out the series when they head to Boston this coming Saturday and leaving with the win. However, should the Celtics prevail, they might indeed prove the old adage true and make it as if the series never happened.