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Giannis Antetokounmpo cemented his status as one of the NBA's all-time greats with his championship in 2021. However, the Milwaukee Bucks nearly fell to a shorthanded Brooklyn Nets squad in the second round. Jeff Teague said his former teammate's title has an asterisk next to it because of the Nets' dominance before James Harden and Kyrie Irving suffered injuries.
“People always put an asterisk by [Giannis' championship] because everybody on Brooklyn got hurt and KD stepped on the line in Game 7,” Teague said on the Club 520 Podcast. “I [believe it], because I was sitting there and I saw the scores… Listen, I got a ring and I'm happy, but I saw when Kyrie was just on the court with KD and they didn't even have James, they beat us by 50, bro.”
The Nets were viewed as the overwhelming title favorite entering the 2021 playoffs. Brooklyn posted one of the highest offensive ratings in NBA history during a round one win over the Boston Celtics. However, Harden injured his hamstring in the opening minutes of Game 1 vs. the Bucks.
Jeff Teague how Nets injuries impacted Giannis Antetokounmpo's championship
Even with Harden sidelined, the Nets went up 2-0, leading by as many as 49 points during a Game 2 victory. However, Irving sprained his ankle while landing on Antetokounmpo's foot in Game 3 and missed the rest of the series.
“Once everybody got hurt, we was like, ‘We can win! They just got KD!' But when they had their whole team, I packed my car up [to leave Milwaukee]… I packed my car up because we lost by 50. I thought it was over with,” Teague said.
With Irving sidelined and Harden returning to play games five, six and seven on one leg, the Nets still pushed the Bucks to a Game 7. Brooklyn infamously came an inch away from winning the series, with Durant stepping on the three-point line on a game-winning shot in the closing seconds.
What if I told you one inch changed the trajectory of the NBA forever pic.twitter.com/r06BXMrJM1
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 9, 2023
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have not made a deep playoff run since their title. A 2022 second-round loss has followed first-round exits in the last two seasons. Milwaukee appears destined for a similar fate this year, with Damian Lillard sidelined indefinitely entering the playoffs.
Depending on how a seeding race with the Detroit Pistons shakes out, the Bucks could face the New York Knicks in the first round. Teague said Antetokounmpo beating the Knicks without Lillard would be a more meaningful feat than his championship.
“Imagine if he beats the fully healthy Knicks by himself?… If he wins that series with all the high praise the Knicks have been getting this year, how well the Knicks played, people thinking they really have a chance to make it to the conference finals. If Giannis can take them out by himself without Dame, that's bigger than his chip,” Teague said. “If he beats this Knicks team without Dame dolla, it's gonna feel like he won a championship.”
