At about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening, the Milwaukee Bucks have been 9-point favorites to win Sport 4, big favorites to win the Japanese Convention finals over the Atlanta Hawks and in addition favored to win the NBA championship. 

Two hours later, they have been simply hoping their 2021-22 season wasn’t ruined too. 

The Bucks aren’t useless, however Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s knee harm adjustments your complete outlook of the NBA playoffs (and if the ultimate information is dangerous sufficient, subsequent 12 months’s NBA playoffs too). The Hawks have been already blowing out the Bucks in Sport 4 when Antetokounmpo went down. For a sad-sack franchise just like the Bucks, Tuesday evening felt like a funeral. 

At the same time as everybody awaits the precise information on Antetokounmpo’s left knee, the NBA Finals odds modified. Possibly not sufficient. 

Who’s favored after Giannis’ harm? 

This has been a bizarre NBA postseason, and maybe summed up by this: The crew that’s favored to win the NBA Finals by a big margin is not even favored to win Sport 6 on Wednesday evening. 

Listed below are the up to date NBA championship odds at BetMGM: 

Phoenix Suns +115
Bucks +225
Los Angeles Clippers +650
Hawks +800

The Bucks odds really feel like a hedge. Oddsmakers doubtless did not wish to put out too excessive of a quantity after which hear miraculous information on Antetokounmpo’s availability for the remainder of the playoffs. However it’s onerous to purchase {that a} crew with Khris Middleton as its No. 1 possibility is the second favourite to win all of it, with the third favourite that far behind. 

However oddsmakers have not given up on the Bucks but. They’re 3-point favorites for Sport 5 on Thursday. The Hawks could be with out their star too, as Trae Younger offers with a bone bruise. They did simply tremendous with out him in Sport 4 although. 

Suns have a fantastic alternative

There aren’t any asterisks for championships. Accidents, and avoiding them, are a part of any sport. However the Suns’ path could not have been clearer this postseason.

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They beat a Los Angeles Lakers crew that had Anthony Davis banged up. The Suns then swept a Denver Nuggets crew that misplaced Jamal Murray throughout the season. They’re going through a Clippers crew with out Kawhi Leonard, and in the event that they win they will tackle an East champ that might be coping with a big harm too. For a Suns crew that has by no means received a championship, that is a tremendous alternative to lastly elevate the trophy. After all, they should truly get rid of the Clippers.  

The identical may have been stated in regards to the Bucks earlier than Tuesday evening. Then they got here out solely unprepared to beat the Hawks and bought blasted even earlier than Antetokounmpo damage his knee. There is not any cause to consider for the time being that Antetokounmpo might be again for this sequence and even the following one if the Bucks are lucky sufficient to advance. It is onerous to speak your self into the Bucks profitable a championship with out Antetokounmpo (which is why the Hawks +800 is the most effective worth among the many closing 4). If they do not even make the NBA Finals, it is going to be crushing. 

The NBA playoffs are altering seemingly each evening with a brand new harm. The Antetokounmpo harm may find yourself being one of many largest shifts.