NBA Finals 2021: By The Numbers - Giannis Antetokounmpo's historic Game 6 performance puts him in the record books

Benyam Kidane

NBA Finals 2021: By The Numbers - Giannis Antetokounmpo's historic Game 6 performance puts him in the record books image

What a way to win your first NBA championship!

Giannis Antetokoumpo etched his name into the record books with a truly dominant performance, recording 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in a 105-98 win over the Phoenix Suns.

He scored 50 of the Bucks 105 points on his way to being named Finals MVP, bringing Milwaukee their first NBA championship in 50 years.

FINALS: Giannis crowned Finals MVP  | Giannis assumes legendary status  | How the Bucks sealed Game 6 on their home floor | Players react on Twitter to Giannis' Game 6

Let's take a deeper dive into the numbers behind Giannis' historic night. 

Firstly, this shot chart is ridiculous:

#Giannis

50: Welcome to the club

Giannis becomes just the seventh player in NBA history to have 50 points in the Finals, joining Bob Pettit Elgin Baylor, Rick Barry, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James 

Not only that, he became the first player in NBA history with 50 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a Finals game.


33: Second half points

Antetokounmpo scored 33 of his 50 points in the second half, including 20 points in the third quarter alone. 

Per Elias Sports, Antetokoumpo is just the second player in the past 50 years to score 33 in a Finals half, joining Michael Jordan. 

Meanwhile, he is the first player in NBA history to record multiple 30-point halves in a single NBA Finals series. 

17: Free throw magic

Perhaps the most insane number of the night came at the free-throw line.

Through the first five games of the series, Antetokounmpo was shooting just 59 percent at the free throw line, but he flipped the script in Game 6. 

Relentlessly attacking the basket all night, he didn't shy away from getting fouled, going 17-of-19 at the charity stripe — the highest mark of his playoff career (min 15 FTA) and the third highest overall of his career.

The Suns as a team shot 16-of-19 in Game 6.

1: A series for the ages

Antetokounmpo was unbelievable throughout the Finals, with series averages of 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

In a series where he produced dominance in the paint we haven't seen since Shaquille O'Neal, Antetokounmpo is the first player EVER to average 30/10/5 on 60 percent shooting in a Finals series. 

2: Giannis joins MJ

Whenever you put yourself in the same standing as Michael Jordan, you're doing something right. 

After being named Finals MVP, Antetokounmpo joins Michael Jordan as the ONLY players in NBA history to win multiple MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year DPOY and Finals MVP.

Antetokounmpo's 50 points are the most in a Finals closeout game since the NBA/ABA merger, bettering Michael Jordan's 45 points in the Chicago Bulls' Game 6 win over the Utah Jazz in 1998.

Adding in his Most Improved Player of the Year award (2017), Antetokounmpo is the first player in NBA history to win: MIP, MVP, DPOY and FMVP.

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Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.