Giannis’s Big Night Not Enough, Suns Take Commanding 2-0 Lead! 7.8.21
It’s a Thursday night and we have Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Bucks and Suns.
(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs (2) Phoenix Suns
Milwaukee Bucks (0-2)
The Bucks looked better in this game but their defense still has it’s problems.
Offensively, it was all Giannis with not much help. Giannis was great in transition, on the offensive glass, he was very good all-around. But he just didn’t get help. Sure, Holiday and Middleton were more aggressive, but they missed a lot of shots you need them to take.
Pat Connaughton had more points than Khris Middleton, which just cannot happen if the Bucks want to win this series!
Defensively, the pick and roll struggles continued. Whenever Jrue Holiday wasn’t on Chris Paul, the Suns ran pick and rolls down the Bucks throats, and it worked.
Devin Booker had a big 2nd half thanks to poor Bucks switches that left Brook Lopez on an island with the elite scorer. The Bucks still have their rotation/scheming problems. How to play Lopez and how much do you play him?
Is PJ Tucker a good or bad option on the floor?
Giannis at center?
What about Bobby Portis?
Many many questions and now down 0-2 in this series, not a whole lot of answers…. yet!
The Bucks started this game off very well. The intensity on both sides was there. They forced turnovers and Jrue Holiday was aggressive on both ends. The Bucks were dominating down low, things were going great. They took an early 8-3 lead but they lost that lead in an instant. They did a better job sending help when there was dribble penetration and they helped more when the Suns used pick and rolls, but that just led to so many open 3’s for the Suns.
Guess what? They made most of them. The Suns were 8/14 in the first quarter from 3, so even though the Bucks scored 20 points in the paint in the first quarter, they were only up 3.
Then came that ugly 2nd quarter. Just 16 points, 4 points in the paint as they got away from what they well in the first quarter. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton were a combined 0/10 from the field in the 2nd and the Bucks shot just 24% from the field in the 2nd. The Suns kept hitting shots and the Bucks were now down double-digits at the halftime break after having that great start.
The Bucks got punched in the mouth to open the 3rd, falling behind by 15. But Giannis single-handedly kept them in the game. He was great on the offensive glass, he drew fouls, he was great in the post, he showed why he was the 2x MVP. He totaled 20 points in the 3rd, the most points in a single quarter of a finals game in the last 25 years. He scored 20/33 Bucks points in the 3rd but the Suns still led by 10 entering the 3rd.
The Suns hit 5 more 3’s in the 3rd, Devin Booker and Chris Paul were lethal and the Suns kept control of the game. The Bucks made a slight run in the 4th but the Suns had that late 7-2 run that really sealed the deal after the Bucks closed the gap to just 6.
Changes To Be Made
The Bucks need to make a lot of changes, but more than that, they need guys to step up.
I’m talking about you, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton. These two shot a combined 12/37 (32%) from the field.
That just.cannot.happen. Giannis shot 68% from the field and had 42 points, but his co-stars had just 28 points combined. The Bucks can’t win unless they get production from all 3 members of the Big 3.
They need to continue to dominate the paint, they outscored the Suns 54-28 in this game. They used Brook Lopez less and Giannis at center more, which is good. Jrue Holiday has to be on Chris Paul as much as possible. Mirror their minutes, because Jeff Teague on Chris Paul won’t work. The Bucks guards need to continue to be physical and disrupt those pick and rolls.
The drop coverage, won’t work but I doubt Bud changes it because he’s Bud. That’s all that needs to be said there.
The Bucks sent a lot more pressure towards the Suns ball handlers in this game and that led to the Suns hitting 20 3-pointers. They have to find that balance between not allowing easy shots/lobs and getting back to shooters. But I just don’t know if they can do it.
The good news for the Bucks is that the fix is ‘simple’/ The two All-Stars, Holiday and Middleton need to score better. They have to make a lot more shots than they did in this game.
Lineups maybe have to change some more than they did in this game. Giannis has to be great again. It just seems like the Bucks don’t know what they’re doing, simply outclassed by the Suns. Obviously heading back to Milwaukee helps, but they have to win both Games 3 and 4, otherwise this series will be over pretty quick.
Phoenix Suns (2-0)
The Suns are so good and such a fun team to watch. They just know how to take advantage of you and they’re currently toying with the Bucks. Chris Paul and Devin Booker were great, again. Paul was masterful in the pick and roll, either scoring or setting up open 3’s because the Bucks don’t know how to play defense in multiple areas of the court. Booker got things going in the 2nd half, as he can just be so lethal, especially when you consistently put Brook Lopez on him.
Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder pitched in a lot more offensively and while Ayton didn’t score as much as he has this postseason, he was still very good. Cam Johnson continues to be very good as everything is going the Suns way. They shut down Holiday and Middleton, again.
Their offense has been very good against the supposed #1 postseason defense in two games so far, it just seems like they’re destined for a title win. Hopefully I don’t jinx anything for you Suns fans, but all of the dominoes are in place for it to happen.
The Suns got dominated in the paint and seemed caught off guard by the Bucks energy to start the game. But they got settled in by hitting 8 3’s in the first quarter and then dominating the 2nd quarter with their lighting quick pace and lethal pick and rolls. The 2nd half was just more of the same. While Giannis had 30 in the 2nd half and couldn’t be stopped, neither could the Suns.
Bridges had 14 in the 2nd half, Paul had 15 and 6 assists in the 2nd half. Devin Booker hit 5 3’s and had 21 of his 31 points in the 2nd half. The Suns finished the game off strong as they just have been playing so good on both ends. They’ve cut off two All-Stars in Middleton and Holiday while doing their best to slow down Giannis.
Booker and Paul have dominated the Bucks with their pick and rolls and if Crowder and Bridges can combine for 38 points (27 from Bridges), then it’s so tough to stop them. I just don’t see a world where the Suns lose this game. Hopefully Torrey Craig is fine, because that would be another tough blow to lose a key role guy at this key juncture. But the Suns are rolling. They just have to do a better job on the offensive boards, but that’s about it.
The Suns look like (key word look), look like they’re going to be winning their first NBA title in franchise history.
What Are Your Thoughts From Game 2? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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