Ernie Johnson backs Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to return to NBA Finals

The iconic TNT host says Giannis and the Bucks are heading back to the NBA Finals

Matthew Dugandzic | Dec 2, 2022

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Milwaukee Bucks

With a quarter of the regular season done and dusted, we are now seeing the top teams separate themselves from the rest. While the Western Conference is really close, and just a few games separate the top 10 teams, the East is starting to shape up nicely -- the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks are pulling away from the rest, as they have clearly been the two best teams in the league and in a class apart.

Even popular analyst and TNT host Ernie Johnson seems to agree. Ernie has chosen his favorite to go to the Finals between these two top teams from the East.

Ernie chooses Giannis and the Bucks to return to the NBA Finals

Last year, the Bucks and the Celtics faced off in the playoffs, sand it looks like they might meet each other again. The Celtics have the best record and are the best offensive-rated team in the league. Meanwhile, the Bucks have the second-best record and have the best defensive-rated team in the league.

However, Ernie Johnson believes that the Bucks will make it back to the NBA Finals over the Celtics.

"I think that Boston has shown us that they can deal with the upheaval they had in the offseason... I think Milwaukee is going to the Finals... I think they are the class of the East," Ernie explained.

The Bucks and Celtics are destined to face off

The top 2 teams in the entire NBA are looking like they are destined to take on each other in the Eastern Conference Finals. Some say their matchup would be similar to when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force. But it seems the Bucks have a slight edge over the Celtics.

Despite playing without Khris Middleton, the Bucks took the Celtics to a long and grueling seven-game series in last year's playoffs. If Milwaukee had their All-Star shooter on the floor, things could have ended up differently.

Middleton is yet to make his debut this season. But even without their second-best player, the Bucks are playing like true contenders, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo who is once again displaying an MVP level of play.

There is no reason to believe he won't keep this up in the postseason. That, combined with Middleton's inevitable return, makes Milwaukee a threat to everyone else in the Association -- the Celtics included.

Published Dec 2, 2022

MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.