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    In Game 3, Antetokounmpo Didn’t Do All of the Work

    The Bucks played well even without their star on the floor, and cut the Suns’ lead to two games to one.With about 3:44 left in the first half on Sunday night, the Bucks were leading by 8 after a basket by Giannis Antetokounmpo. With a crucial opportunity to build momentum heading into halftime, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer pulled him from the game to try to buy his superstar some rest. More

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    The Bucks Have Big-Time Supporters: Kareem and Oscar Robertson

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson were the top two scorers on Milwaukee’s 1971 title team. They’re rooting for Giannis Antetokounmpo to win it all this year.The Milwaukee Bucks’ only title came in 1971, when they swept the Baltimore Bullets.It was the third year of the franchise, a potential signal of a new powerhouse to be reckoned with besides the Boston Celtics, who had dominated the N.B.A. for much of the previous decade. More

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    N.B.A. Finals: Booker Leads Suns Over Bucks in Game 2

    “If Book shoots it, I expect it to go in,” Chris Paul said after Phoenix took a 2-0 lead over Milwaukee in the N.B.A. Finals.PHOENIX — Devin Booker grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., as a devoted Detroit Pistons fan. He keyed on Ben Wallace’s energy, Chauncey Billups’ steadiness, Rasheed Wallace’s tenacity and Tayshaun Prince’s versatility. More

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    Rachel Nichols Out for N.B.A. Finals Coverage on ABC

    Comments made by Nichols that were caught on tape caused tremendous upheaval within ESPN over the past year. Nichols, who is white, suggested that a Black colleague, Maria Taylor, had been selected for a marquee job because of her race.When a sideline reporter first appeared on ABC’s broadcast of the N.B.A. finals on Tuesday night, it was not Rachel Nichols, an abrupt change announced by ESPN earlier in the day. It was an attempt to stanch a yearlong scandal that has spilled into public view about the company’s handling of conflicts centered around race. More

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    What It Means to Be Clutch in Basketball’s Biggest Moments

    Legends are made in the N.B.A. finals, which begin Tuesday. Basketball players who have come through in high-stakes moments like this explain how they did it.They are the moments dreamed about in childhood while on an empty playground. An imaginary game clock dwindles. A couple of dribbles are taken. A game-winning shot is launched. More

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    For the Milwaukee Bucks, the Jrue Holiday Gamble Yielded a Jackpot

    When the Bucks acquired Holiday, it was hardly clear that they had solved their problems and improved their chances of enticing Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay.The Milwaukee Bucks were in an unusual position during the last off-season.They were title contenders facing wholesale upheaval, with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s so-called supermax contract extension unsigned after they had again slunk out of the playoffs disappointingly early, despite having the best regular-season record for a second consecutive season. More