NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns, Part 3 | Bucks lead 3-2

[DrWood]

Can the Bucks win a game in Phoenix despite consistent poor games from Jrue Holiday.

Find out on the next episode of Basketball Z

If this postseason so far will predict the remaining games, the bucks need one of Jrue or Middleton to not be abysmal to win a game. That's it.

[Castle Black]

Problem is I don’t think Milwaukee can win a road game this series. Middleton and Jrue just don’t play well enough on the road. Game 5 is their only chance cause they ain’t winning a Game 7 on the road where the home team wins like 80% of the time.

[aboveAverage]

Different setting in game 5 than games 1-2. Bucks will have three days off. Last time they flew in from Atlanta and played almost immediately with little rest, and Giannis coming back from injury.

Phoenix will come out strong but then the Bucks will chip away at the lead. I think we’ll see in the late third/early fourth quarter who wants it more.

[PlatinumState]

Bucks win 2 in a row and suddenly the poll results show 68% bucks in 6 . It was like that after the first 2 games.
Prisoners of the moment
I still think the Suns take it in 6.

[GiannisAnte34]

Bucks win 2 in a row and suddenly the poll results show 68% bucks in 6 . It was like that after the first 2 games.
Prisoners of the moment
I still think the Suns take it in 6.

Saric getting injured has exposed their depth

[Slim Charless]

Good game and a terrible turnover by CP3 at the end. Suns still have home court.

[GiannisAnte34]

Good game and a terrible turnover by CP3 at the end. Suns still have home court.

Suns in 4 right

[Spanish_Laker]

Suns got this. They were already in this situation against the defending champs in the first round. I think the Suns will win decisively in game 5 and finish the series on the road.

Except in that series AD and KCP were both injured and LeAnkle at 50%.

[Hitachi77]

Bucks are still underdogs. Those who think they definitely will win have a once in a lifetime chance at a life altering amount of money. You're welcome.

[Hitachi77]

Someone said in the other thread that the one thing the Suns did tonight was "figure out how to slow down the Greek Freak"

And I tried to quote him but thread was already locked.

That poster (whoever you are) was and is 100% wrong.

He actually and absolutely destroyed Phoenix tonight.

He damn near messed around and dropped a triple double.

Greek Freak: 26 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals with only 1 turnover. He was an efficient Greek Freak of nature and off of 11/19 (.579%) from the field too.

Good God oh mighty.

The only thing the Suns figured out was to focus too much on Giannis while blatantly letting Khris Middleton (a career A+ role player) drop 40 points with 6 rebounds and another 4 dimes.

Phoenix is done.
Series is over.
Milwaukee in 6.
Bucks celebrate @ Milwaukee.
Greek Freak + Middleton = Co-MVPs (not fair any other way).

Surely you hammered Bucks +400 after game 2, and will put even more on Bucks +125 now? Next year you will be posting from your vacation homes in Tahiti and Hawaii?

[rolling_91]

Holiday couldn't make a shot tonight but he had a brilliant game. Maybe the best defensive guard in the NBA. He made so many plays all over the floor, they don't win without him. He is the glue to the Bucks. People who think he was terrible don't understand the game of basketball. Just like he slowed down a normally unstoppable Kyrie, he has taken Paul out of his favorite spots and punished him with his physicality. And now Paul has lost his shooting rhythm.

The key to the Bucks is their defense. The combination of their front line length plus Holiday and Tucker on the ball make it hard to score consistently on them. The Suns need more offense from somebody other than Booker. I don't think they have enough firepower to overcome the defense of the Bucks. We will see.

[LikeABosh]

Suns got this. They were already in this situation against the defending champs in the first round. I think the Suns will win decisively in game 5 and finish the series on the road.

Except in that series AD and KCP were both injured and LeAnkle at 50%.

Yeah, I don't see the comparison there. If Middleton was out and Giannis was too injured to drive effectively then that would be the same situation

[queridiculo]

Can the Bucks win a game in Phoenix despite consistent poor games from Jrue Holiday.

Find out on the next episode of Basketball Z

If this postseason so far will predict the remaining games, the bucks need one of Jrue or Middleton to not be abysmal to win a game. That's it.

Holiday in particular has been such a huge disappointment, shocking play from given what it cost the Bucks to add him.

[WD]

THE GAME WAS RIGHT THERE FOR THE suns and they couldn't take advantage of Giannis not dominating the offense. I'm enjoying this years playoffs. I think the fact that Booker got 42 and they still lost has entered his head.

[queridiculo]

The only thing the Suns figured out was to focus too much on Giannis while blatantly letting Khris Middleton (a career A+ role player) drop 40 points with 6 rebounds and another 4 dimes.

Letting... At some point Middleton had 28 points on 26 FGAs, I don't think the Suns let Middleton do anything, he just kept forcing up shots.

The Suns breakdown was mostly on the offensive end with poor shots and terrible turnovers, they let this one get away because they couldn't execute on the offensive end.

If you told the Suns before the game that Middleton would score 40 but it would take him 33 attempts to get there they probably wouldn't be too concerned, as a defense you've done your job.

[coastalmarker99]

I said before game 4 if the bucks win this game they win in 6 and I couldn't feel any more confident about that now. The bucks should have won game 2 but due to Middleton and Jrue sucking the Suns hitting 20 3s on over 45 percent shooting booker hitting an uncharacteristic 7 3s, Mikal bridges having a career game they lost a closer game than the score suggests.


Since then the bucks have figured quite a few things out, game 5 at phoenix won't be the same as games 1 and 2. You can't even point to the bucks role players stepping up as the reason they've won games 3-4, the role players played better during the first two games, it's the adjustments + Middleton and Jrue are playing better in games 3-4 swung it for the bucks, Khris more than jrue

The bucks will win game 5, and when they do this series is over in 6. The only reason why this game was close was booker was hitting stupid difficult shots that he won't be consistently hitting over the course of the final 3 games, in-game 4 this was his best game out of the 4 in terms of efficiency, he's very streaky

[coastalmarker99]

Cp3 is having problems with his hands so that will be a big factor that may decide this finals outcome.

As he tore ligaments in his fingers almost immediately after returning in the clippers series.


What is good news is for the Bucks is that they have found a way to limit CP3's P&R in games 3 and 4 as Jrue is hounding him now from fullcourt.

[slos]

Midds is so clutch in these playoffs and the Giannis playoff struggles are finally over. Bud is adjusting. Bucks have this. The Jrue trade was totally worth it too. Imagine Bledsoe having a 4/20 FGs game. He would be catastrophic. Holiday has his way being a positive even in a bad shooting night. If Jrue shoots at league average the next two games it's Bucks in 6.

[iamworthy]

If holiday ever wakes up on offense....

[coastalmarker99]

If holiday ever wakes up on offense....

Then the Bucks are winning this series and title.