Jrue Holiday Leads Milwaukee to 2021 NBA Finals

Former UCLA standout guard Jrue Holiday scored 27 points and added nine rebounds, nine assists and four steals in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1974.

Milwaukee secured wins over the Atlanta Hawks in Games 5 and 6, after the best-of-seven game series had been tied, 2-2. Milwaukee won Game 6 on Saturday night, 118-107, in Atlanta.
 
Holiday will be making his first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals, now in his 13th season in the NBA. Including Holiday, the UCLA men's basketball program has seen its former players advance to the NBA Finals over 60 times (that figure includes multiple players making two or more trips to the NBA Finals).
 
In addition, Holiday has become UCLA's first former player to advance to the NBA Finals since 2019, when Norman Powell competed for the Toronto Raptors (Eastern Conference Champions) and Kevon Looney was a part of the Golden State Warriors (Western Conference Champions).
 
Holiday averaged 22.0 points, 10.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds in Milwaukee's six Eastern Conference Finals contests. The former UCLA guard, selected in the 2009 NBA Draft, has averaged 17.0 points, 8.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds in the 2021 postseason (17 games played).
 
This marks the fifth season in which Holiday has helped his NBA squad advance to the postseason. Previously, he competed in the postseason with Philadelphia (in 2011 and 2012) and New Orleans (in 2015 and 2018).
 
The 2021 NBA Finals will feature the Milwaukee Bucks against the Phoenix Suns. Game 1 of the upcoming best-of-seven game series will take place on Tuesday, July 6, in Phoenix. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PT). The NBA Finals will be nationally televised on ABC.
 
Milwaukee has advanced to the NBA Finals in three seasons (1971, 1974 and 2021). The organization won the NBA title in 1971.