Mikal Bridges admits Suns' underestimated the Bucks in the 2021 Finals: "I thought we was good"

Although he is not a Phoenix Sun anymore, the nightmares of the 2021 NBA Finals collapse at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks will always remain horrifying for Mikal Bridges.

In his recent appearance on the Roommates Show, Mikal recalled how he and the Suns underestimated the Bucks on the title stage, knowing they went through the grinding competition of the Western Conference.

“I remember going up 2-0, thought we was good,” Bridges said. “I was like, ‘We about to win the ‘chip,’ because look, especially in the West, especially then, like the West, all had tough teams. The East really like whatever. We go see Milwaukee. We over here like, ‘Man, it’s light. It’s the East. It’s Milwaukee. I know they got (Giannis Antetokounmpo), and obviously, they got hoopers, but I’m like, the West is tougher than the East. We’re like we good.’”

Tables turned for the Bucks

Eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and the L.A. Clippers, the Suns truly had to go through the bloodbath contest of the West just to make it to the Finals. But like them, the Bucks willed their way to the title stage by surviving their seven-game war with the Brooklyn Nets in the Conference Semis and outlasting the gutsy Atlanta Hawks in six games of the East Finals.

Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, enduring a nasty knee injury, the Bucks came to play in the Valley but trembled as the Suns instantly went up 2-0 in the series. But from that point, Milwaukee flipped the switch and never turned their heads around again, with Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday unleashing memorable performances.

The defining moment of the Bucks' marvelous charge to eventually win the 2021 championship was in Game 5. As the series is knotted at two games apiece, Giannis and Jrue connected to an iconic alley-oop play in the pivotal endgame that completely shifted the momentum at their side.

“I remember the ball went up, and Jrue threw the lob. [Chris Paul] tried to foul, but Giannis caught it, dunked it, and And-1. I just stopped. … It was tough,” said Bridges