NBA Tar Heels: July 5 Playoffs Update

A Tar Heel will win an NBA championship for the third consecutive year.

The 2021 NBA Finals being on Tuesday night in Phoenix (9:00 PM ET, ABC), and for the third year in a row a Tar Heel is guaranteed to win a championship. 

Danny Green has fulfilled that role each of the previous two seasons (Raptors, Lakers). This year it will either be Cameron Johnson (Suns) or Justin Jackson (Bucks). 

Whether it's Johnson or Jackson who becomes the next Carolina NBA Champion, he will be the 18th Tar Heel to do so and will earn the 36th total UNC championship; both more than any other school.

Johnson missed the Suns' Game 6 clinching victory over the Clippers with an illness, but is ready to go for the Finals. In the five games of the Western Conference Finals that Johnson did compete in, he shot an absurd 70.0% (21-for-30) on field goals and 52.9% on threes. The second-year player hit at least half of his shots in all five games of the conference finals.

Justin Jackson hasn't seen as much action for the Bucks; just spot minutes at the end of games. Unless there's a blowout in one of the Finals games, we probably won't see Jackson on the court again this year. 

Below is a summary of each conference final and how Johnson and Jackson fared, followed by a look at the NBA Finals schedule.

NOTE: All times listed are EST and P.M.

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference: (5) Atlanta Hawks vs. (3) Milwaukee Bucks

• Bucks win series 4-2
• Game 1: Hawks 116 | Bucks 113
• Game 2: Bucks 125 | Hawks 91
• Game 3: Bucks 113 | Hawks 102
• Game 4: Hawks 110 | Bucks 88
• Game 5: Bucks 123 | Hawks 112
• Game 6: Bucks 118 | Hawks 107
• Tar Heels involved: Justin Jackson (Bucks)
• Game 1 stats: INACTIVE
• Game 2 stats: 3:24 MIN | 0 PTS | 0-2 FG | 0-2 3FG | 1 REB | 1 TO | -3 +/-
• Game 3 stats: DID NOT PLAY - COACH'S DECISION
• Game 4 stats: DID NOT PLAY - COACH'S DECISION
• Game 5 stats: DID NOT PLAY - COACH'S DECISION
• Game 6 stats: DID NOT PLAY - COACH'S DECISION

Western Conference: (4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (2) Phoenix Suns

• Suns win series 4-2
• Game 1: Suns 120 | Clippers 114
• Game 2: Suns 104 | Clippers 103
• Game 3: Clippers 106 | Suns 92
• Game 4: Suns 84 | Clippers 80
• Game 5: Clippers 116 | Suns 102
• Game 6: Suns 130 | Clippers 103
• Tar Heels involved: Cameron Johnson (Suns)
• Game 1 stats: 24:27 MIN | 12 PTS | 5-8 FG | 2-5 3FG | 4 REB | 2 STL | 0 TO | +14 +/-
• Game 2 stats: 24:12 MIN | 11 PTS | 5-5 FG | 1-1 3FG | 3 REB | 1 STL | 0 TO | -1 +/-
• Game 3 stats: 30:26 MIN | 12 PTS | 4-7 FG | 2-5 3FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 2 AST | 2 TO | -8 +/-
• Game 4 stats: 17:02 MIN | 5 PTS | 2-4 FG | 1-3 3FG | 4 REB | 0 TO | +1 +/-
• Game 5 stats: 23:01 MIN | 14 PTS | 5-6 FG | 3-3 3FG | 1-1 FT | 4 REB | 3 STL | 3 TO | -4 +/-
• Game 6 stats: INACTIVE

NBA Finals Schedule

(3 - Eastern) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (2 - Western) Phoenix Suns

• Upcoming Games
• Game 1: @ Phoenix | Tuesday, July 6 | 9:00 | ABC
• Game 2: @ Phoneix | Thursday, July 8 | 9:00 | ABC
• Game 3: @ Milwaukee | Sunday, July 11 | 8:00 | ABC
• Game 4: @ Milwaukee | Wednesday, July 14 | 9:00 | ABC
• Game 5 (if necessary): @ Phoenix | Saturday, July 17 | 9:00 | ABC
• Game 6 (if necessary): @ Milwaukee | Tuesday, July 20 | 9:00 | ABC
• Game 7 (if necessary): @ Phoenix | Thursday, July 22 | 9:0 | ABC
• Tar Heels involved
• Bucks: Justin Jackson
• Suns: Cameron Johnson

Stay with All Tar Heels as we keep you updated on Tar Heels as they progress through the postseason.

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