Giannis Antetokounmpo's finals test: Can he deliver the Milwaukee Bucks an NBA title?

A part of Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to celebrate Milwaukee’s Game 7 victory over Brooklyn.

He said he almost got emotional.

Winning a series is an accomplishment, especially a series finale on the road against the spectacular Kevin Durant.

But Antetokounmpo knew there’s nothing to celebrate just yet.

“The job is not done … We are halfway through,” Antetokounmpo said, acknowledging the 16 victories required in the playoffs to win the NBA championship.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks aren’t content just to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

The commitment the Bucks made to Antetokounmpo, the commitment he made to the them and the roster built around him come with much larger expectations.

Playing in the Finals with an opportunity to win a title is the goal. And the Bucks are four victories from doing that. As the No. 3 seed, they are the highest remaining seed in the East with top-seeded Philadelphia and second-seeded Brooklyn eliminated.

Milwaukee enters the series as the favorite against the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks, who admitted late in their series against the 76ers that they were playing with house money.

If the Hawks win, even better. If they lose, great season that ended far better than anyone anticipated when they fired their coach Lloyd Pierce in early March with a 14-20 record.

If the Bucks lose, it will be a disappointment, an indictment on the roster and will lead to an offseason of introspection to decide what’s needed to reach the Finals.

And questions will surround Antetokounmpo and his ability to get the there.

That comes with the territory when you are a two-time MVP, a first-team All-NBA for three consecutive seasons and a former defensive player of the year who signed a five-year, $228 million contract extension that runs through the 2025-26 season.

Whether he wants to acknowledge it or feel it, there is pressure on Antetokounmpo to get the Bucks to the Finals. The Bucks lost in the conference finals two seasons ago and the conference semifinals last season.

“It’s going to be hard,” Antetokounmpo said.

He has taken a page out of LeBron James’ playbook. Play the games and see what happens and as long as the effort is there, it’s easier to live with the outcome.

“We want everybody to cherish this moment because we are built for this,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s why we are here. No matter the pressure, no matter what’s going on, we are built for this. We believe in who we are. No matter what happens, win or lose, we’ll stay together and we’re just going to go out there and compete.”

Antetokounmpo delivered for the Bucks in the series finale against the Nets with 40 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. For the series, he averaged 28.8 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Against Atlanta, there are three areas to watch for Antetokounmpo: 3-pointers, foul shots and minutes.

He shot just 19.1% on 3s and 53.8% on free throws. There’s not much to do about the free throws at this point. A major part of Antetokounmpo’s game is attacking the rim – and getting fouled. The Bucks will just have to live with the results.

The 3-pointers are another story. He took 4.3 per game against Brooklyn. He should take fewer, and someone would argue no 3s at all with more shots at the rim. It’s just also not realistic to box him in like that. He took zero 3s in Game 6 against Brooklyn, but clearly the eight he took in Game 3 were too many.

Against Brooklyn, Antetokounmpo averaged 40.1 minutes per game, the most he has averaged in any series and by far the most he has averaged since Budenholzer became coach in 2018. Antetokounmpo played 50 of 53 minutes in Game 7.

“I’ve prepared my body all year for moments like that, being able to play 40 minutes, 42, 45, 48, whatever it may be, 53," he said. "(Budenholzer) knows the way I am. If I get tired I’m going to let him know. If I get tired and I need a 30-second break or a minute-break, usually we have a great way to communicate about that – that he can pull me out and put me right back.”

The Bucks are four wins from having something truly to celebrate. Can Antetokounmpo get them there?

“We need him great (in Game 1),” Budenholzer said, “but then we’ll probably need him better and better and better.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoffs: Giannis Antetokounmpo's next test is Bucks to NBA Finals