Schedule and 2020-21 Results
Regular Season Records: Phoenix 51-21, Milwaukee 46-26
Game 1 on Tuesday, 06 July: Milwaukee loses at Phoenix, 118-pts-105
Game 2 on Thursday, 08 July: Milwaukee loses at Phoenix, 118-pts-108
Game 3 on Sunday, 11 July: Phoenix loses at Milwaukee, 120-pts-100
Game 4 on Wednesday, 14 July: Phoenix loses at Milwaukee, 109-pts-103
Game 5 on Saturday, 17 July: Milwaukee wins at Phoenix, 123-pts-119
Game 6 on Tuesday, 20 July: Phoenix loses at Milwaukee, 105-pts-98

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Milwaukee Bucks hosted and defeated the Phoenix Suns 105-pts-98 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1481 victory. With the series 1481 win, the Milwaukee Bucks improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 18-25 (with a four-series winning streak befitting a newly crowned NBA champion) overall and 2-1 in the Finals round. With the series 1481 loss, the Phoenix Suns see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 18-21 overall and 0-3 in the Finals round. The win order for the victorious Milwaukee Bucks in series 1481 was LLWWWW: Series 1481 thus becomes the third NBA Finals-round series, the 14th NBA series (all rounds), and the 42th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The Milwaukee Bucks win their first best-of-7 NBA Finals since series 245 (the 1971 NBA Finals).

After Game 5: The Milwaukee Bucks visited and topped the Phoenix Suns 123-pts-119 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1481 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Milwaukee Bucks have a series record of 3-2 and a Game 6 record of 2-3. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 2-10 and a Game 6 record of 4-8. The Milwaukee Bucks trailed the host Phoenix Suns by 16 points after one quarter but won: In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games beginning in 1947, inclusive, road teams down 16 points after one quarter had a game record of only 1-19 (.050) - the Milwaukee Bucks thus achieve a grade-A in-game comeback. In best-of-7 NBA Finals, the 16-point deficit after one quarter surmounted by Milwaukee in series 1481 Game 5 becomes the second-largest deficit after one quarter surmounted by a road team for a game victory: In series 1052, the Boston Celtics trailed the Lakers in Los Angeles by 21 points after one quarter of 2008 NBA Finals Game 4, but rallied for the victory.

After Game 4: The Milwaukee Bucks hosted and defeated the Phoenix Suns 109-pts-103 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1481 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 7-8 and a Game 5 record of 7-8, while the Milwaukee Bucks have a series record of 5-11 and a Game 5 record of 5-11. Tied 2-games-all, the Phoenix Suns have seen their Game 5 outcome presage their series outcome in their last dozen such series (six wins; six losses). The Milwaukee Bucks trailed the visiting Phoenix Suns by six points as late as after three quarters but won: In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games beginning in 1947, inclusive, home teams down six points as late as after three quarters had a game record of only 23-50 (.315) - the Milwaukee Bucks thus achieve a grade-D in-game comeback.

After Game 3: The Milwaukee Bucks hosted and bested the Phoenix Suns 120-pts-100 to drop the Phoenix Suns best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1481 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 12-3 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 4 record of 9-6. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Milwaukee Bucks have a series record of 2-12 and a Game 4 record of 8-6. Irrespective of Games 1-2 outcome, the Milwaukee Bucks extend their Game 3 winning streak to four Game 3s with their series 1481 Game 3 victory. Irrespective of Games 1-3 outcome, the Phoenix Suns have an active five Game 4 winning streak in best-of-7 NBA playoff series.

After Game 2: The Phoenix Suns hosted and bested the Milwaukee Bucks 118-pts-108 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1481 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 6-2 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 3 record of 3-5. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Milwaukee Bucks have a series record of 1-15 and a Game 3 record of 8-8. The sole Milwaukee victory in the wake of a 2-games-nil deficit in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series occurred in the last such series for Milwaukee, in series 1476 over the Brooklyn Nets in the 2021 NBA Quarterfinals.

After Game 1: The Phoenix Suns hosted and outscored the Milwaukee Bucks 118-pts-105 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1481 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 14-5 (with an active five-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 8-11. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Milwaukee Bucks have a series record of 7-21 and a Game 2 record of 12-16.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2020-21 NBA regular season, the Phoenix Suns finished five games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks. From 1947 through the 2021 NBA Semifinals round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by five regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 28-12 (.700) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1481 is the 39th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Phoenix Suns, and the 43rd for the Milwaukee Bucks. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Phoenix Suns have an all-rounds series record of 18-20, a Finals-round series record of 0-2, and a Game 1 record of 19-19, while the Milwaukee Bucks have an all-rounds series record of 17-25, a Finals-round series record of 1-1, and a Game 1 record of 14-28. Series 1481 is the first best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks.