8:00 PM EST, ABC – Line: Bucks -4, Over/Under: 222
With two chapters of the 2021 NBA Finals in the books, the Phoenix Suns find themselves two games away from claiming the franchise’s first Larry O’Brien Trophy, while the Milwaukee Bucks simply hope to get back into the series after once again falling into an 0-2 deficit, as both teams gear up for Game Three with the stage shifting to Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s hard to fathom the Suns (51-21, 2nd in Western Conference) getting off to a better start in these Finals, their first since 1993, edging their opponent at every turn through the first two games. Of course, nobody could have predicted that Phoenix would even advance to this point, for you would be hard-pressed to find a more miraculous participant in the Finals; this is a club that had previously went ELEVEN consecutive years without a postseason appearance, and became the first to reach the Finals after missing the Playoffs altogether in the previous season. With that said, their impressive performance in last Fall’s Bubble (8-0) provided us with a glimpse of what (General Manager) James Jones and (Head Coach) Monty Williams had been building, and with the addition of (All-NBA Point Guard) Chris Paul (16.4 PTS, 49.9% FG, 39.5% 3FG, 4.5 REB, 8.9 AST, 1.4 STL, 21.4 PER) to the mix their fortunes would rise exponentially. This is a side that improved by a staggering SEVENTEEN games this season, with the presence of the 36-year old Floor General accelerating the development of their young nucleus in exponential fashion; (All-Star Guard) Devin Booker (25.6 PTS, 48.4% FG, 34.0% 3FG, 4.2 REB, 4.3 AST, 0.8 STL, 19.2 PER) has blossomed into a bonfide superstar, while (former No. One Overall Pick) Deandre Ayton (14.4 PTS, 62.6% FG, 10.5 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.6 STL, 1.2 BLK, 20.3 PER) is emerging as a significant two-way presence at Center, with a slew of other talented youngsters growing with each passing game. And it was this young talent that helped propel them to a 118-108 victory in Game Two; after shooting just 8-of-21 (38.1%) from the field in Game One, Booker went off for thirty-one points on a much improved 12-of-25 shooting (48.0%), including a scintillating 7-of-12 from beyond the arc (58.3%), along with five rebounds and six assists, while (two-way sensation) Mikal Bridges (13.5 PTS, 54.3% FG, 42.5% 3FG, 4.3 REB, 2.1 AST, 1.1 STL, 16.4 PER) exploded for a postseason career-high twenty-seven points on 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%), including 8-of-8 from the charity stripe (100.0%). Furthermore, (veteran journeyman) Jae Crowder (10.1 PTS, 40.4% FG, 38.9% 3FG, 4.7 REB, 2.1 AST, 0.8 STL, 11.8 PER) and (sharpshooter) Cameron Johnson (9.6 PTS, 42.0% FG, 34.9% 3FG, 3.3 REB, 1.4 AST, 11.8 PER) were each timely performers, combining for nineteen points and five three-pointers, with the former adding ten rebounds and four assists, while the latter added three boards and a pair of dimes. Williams’ charges weathered Milwaukee’s early onslaught in which they were outscored 29-26 in the First Quarter, with the hosts getting off to a slow start on just 9-of-23 shooting (39.1%) , but nonetheless managed to hang in on the strength of their three-point shooting, knocking down 8-of-14 attempts (57.1%) from downtown in the period. To the chagrin of the visitors, they wouldn’t slow down in this regard, outscoring them 30-16 in the second stanza, and when the affair was all said and done the Suns had buried a staggering 20-of-40 treys (50.0%), outscoring the opposition by a whopping THIRTY-THREE points. It was quite the transition from Tuesday’s opener, in which it was their free-throw shooting (25-of-26) that provided the edge to in victory; 12-of-14 (85.7%) from the line on Thursday Night, six different Suns logged multiple triples, with Booker’s seven nearly matching the visiting side as a whole. In the end, Paul turned in yet another strong performance in the first Finals of his long venerable career, totaling twenty-three points on 10-of-20 shooting (50.0%), with four rebounds, and eight assists, while Ayton came back down to Earth with just ten points on 4-of-10 shooting (40.0%), though nonetheless contributed in a slew of other areas with eleven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a pair of blocks. However, the play of the game involved each of the previously named players; on their final possession of the First Half, Phoenix persistently thwarted the Bucks’ relentless defense via a sensational sequence consisting of ten passes, finishing with a flush courtesy of Ayton with 14.9 seconds left as the big man was fouled at the rim. The home side would lead by as many as fifteen points, though saw their advantage cut to five late in the Fourth Quarter, but a final sequence in which they managed to secure a pair of offensive rebounds before Paul nailed a crucial three. With the franchise never closer to a championship, the job is far from over for Phoenix, who as this Final transitions to Milwaukee with their frontcourt depth set to be tested in a major way; Phoenix lost (backup big man) Dario Saric (8.7 PTS, 44.7% FG, 34.8% 3FG, 3.8 REB, 1.3 AST, 0.6 STL, 14.3 PER) to a torn ACL in Game One after the Serbian International landed awkwardly under the rim, while (former Bucks Forward) Torrey Craig (7.2 PTS, 50.3% FG, 36.9% 3FG, 4.8 RE, 1.0 AST, 0.6 BLK, 15.5 PER) took a blow to his knee after stepping up to take a charge late in Thursday’s affair. The latter has been labeled as Probable for tonight’s matchup, leaving the Suns without many options beyond Ayton in the paint. Why is this important you ask? Well, it seems that even in defeat their opponent has managed to make some sizable adjustments that could pay off moving forward…
Meanwhile, the Bucks (46-26, 3rd in Eastern Conference) have once again found themselves in a precarious position in these Playoffs, and must use their innate resilience to find a way to fight their way back in this, their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1974. Indeed, Milwaukee trailed 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Brooklyn Nets, rallying to win the next two games on their home floor before eventually going on to triumph in seven, besting Brooklyn in an epic finale that needed overtime to decide a victor. However, the critics of this team (of which there are many) will be quick to point out that they wouldn’t have managed to finish the Nets off had their opponent been healthy; (All-Star Guards) James Harden and Kyrie Irving each missed multiple entries in that series due to various injuries, and even with that said, a run of herculean performances from Kevin Durant was nearly enough to finish (Head Coach) Mike Budenholzer’s troops off. With that said, the Bucks nonetheless took advantage of a golden opportunity, and in the ensuing Eastern Conference Final once again rallied back from an early series deficit to eliminate the Atlanta Hawks, whom saw their own All-Star Guard (Trae Young) hampered with a bulky ankle for the final three games. Milwaukee though, was without a superstar of their own in latter stages of that particular matchup, as (two-time MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (28.1 PTS, 56.9% FG, 30.3% 3FG, 11.0 REB, 5.9 AST, 1.2 STL, 1.2 BLK, 29.2 PER) suffered a hyperextension to his left knee. As the supporting cast stepped up in admirable fashion and finished off the upstart Hawks, the biggest concern coming into this Final was the health of the Greek International, who entering Game One was at first considered Doubtful, but then after receiving around- the-clock treatment was swiftly upgraded to Questionable and shortly before tipoff a Game-Time Decision. Of course, the 26-year old participated in Tuesday’s opener, and in defeat started strongly with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting (75.0%), along with five rebounds and a pair of assists in the First Quarter, though overall he would only attempt eleven field goals in just over thirty-five minutes of action. Thursday Night would be a different matter altogether, for any ill-effects of that knee injury looked well behind him as Antetokounmpo dominated with FORTY-TWO points on 15-of-22 shooting (68.2%) along with a dozen rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in just over forty minutes of action. Twenty of his total scoring output came in the Third Quarter, setting an NBA Finals record for most points in a single period, knocking down 5-of-6 attempts from the field (83.3%), and sinking 9-of-14 free-throws (64.3%). Unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough, for as we touched upon earlier the Bucks were absolutely TORCHED from downtown, though there were a number of other encouraging signs that could lead to another Milwaukee rally. First and foremost, Budenholzer’s charges did a much better job defensively particularly in terms of falling into the mismatches that Phoenix mercilessly exploited via the Pick & Roll; (veteran Center) Brook Lopez (12.3 PTS, 50.3% FG, 33.8% 3FG, 5.0 REB, 0.7 AST, 0.6 STL, 1.5 BLK, 15.4 PER) was repeatedly victimized in this regard, leading the Coaching Staff refrain him from switching, as the seven-footer stayed home to protect the rim. Granted, this created more space for their opponent to bomb away from the perimeter, but helped mitigate the advantage that the hosts enjoyed from the charity stripe in Game One. All of those free-throws also helped the Suns dictate the tempo and keep the Bucks out of transition (where they thrive), and that certainly wasn’t the case in Game Two; the visitors outscored the home side 17-7 in terms of Fast Break Points, and overall dominated them in the painted area where held a massive Plus-26 advantage. With Phoenix’s frontcourt depth sorely depleted coming into tonight’s contest, they must continue to press this advantage. Something that must change though is the production that they’ve been receiving from (veterans) Khris Middleton (20.4 PTS, 47.6% FG, 41.4% 3FG, 6.0 REB, 5.4 AST, 1.1 STL, 18.2 PER) and Jrue Holiday (17.7 PTS, 50.3% FG, 39.2% 3FG, 4.5 REB, 6.1 AST, 1.6 STL, 20.0 PER). These two have been counted upon to be the second and third options respectfully behind Antetokounmpo, and we’ve yet to see both truly show their talents in these Finals. The duo combined for just twenty-eight points on a miserable 12-of-37 shooting from the field (32.4%), including 2-of-9 from downtown (22.2%). Granted, Holiday has been VERY preoccupied defending the aforementioned Paul, but Middleton must step up to create the balance offensively opposite of Giannis, particularly when you consider that the Bucks so often look his way in the clutch. There have been thirty-five previous occasions in which the Finals stood at 2-0 after the first two games, though the team trailing in that scenario has only come back to win five times, with the last example being the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rallied back to upset the 73-win Golden State Warriors back in 2016.