How will the Suns respond?

There’s a lasting belief in the NBA that “a playoff series doesn’t start until the road team wins.”

If that idea holds true, then the 2021 NBA Finals will begin with the Phoenix Suns already on the brink of both the franchise and Chris Paul’s first title. 

But it would also mean that somehow, Suns head coach Monty Williams and his staff figured a solution to halt the rampaging momentum of an opponent led by its super-charged Greek Freak, who’s playing like a man on a mission. 

After being outclassed in the finals’ opening pair of matches, the Milwaukee Bucks countered with a haymaker strong enough to send a heavyweight down to one knee by virtue of a masterful 120-100 victory in game three on Monday, July 12 (Manila time).

With the series moving to Wisconsin, the Bucks altered the theme of their franchise’s first return to the NBA Finals in half a century from lurking blowout to suddenly competitive. No opponent has ever rallied from down 0-3 in playoff history, which warranted a level of desperation out of the Bucks that the Suns were unable to parry. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo was sensational and altered the history books with 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. He even shot well from the foul line, going 13-of-17. Unsurprisingly, playing on your own home floor – where fans aren’t as vocal counting to 10 – has its dividends.  

The most evident issue for Milwaukee’s offense from Game 2 was how incredible their best player was despite not being in full health, but the lack of contributions from the rest of the supporting cast failed to complement him. 

No such headlines will be written for now, as Khris Middleton contributed an all-around effort of 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Jrue Holiday had 21 points, 9 dimes, and 5 boards. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis each pitched in 11 points off the bench, while playing key roles in Milwaukee’s insistence to beat the smaller Phoenix line-up in the paint all-contest long.

“[We] needed some size, for sure. We needed some size in the paint, rebounding,” Williams said after the game.

If Arizona’s hot summer sun was an indication of how well Phoenix shot on its home floor, then the colder climate of Milwaukee should have been a sign of what was to change.

The Suns nailed only two of their 14 attempts from deep in the first half, opening the door for the Bucks to take a double-digit edge going into halftime. Phoenix’s troublesome first 24 minutes was compounded in the final seconds, as Deandre Ayton picked up his third foul on a Middleton drive. 

It didn’t take long for Ayton to collect his fourth after the third period commenced. With Dario Saric (torn ACL) already out for the series, and Frank Kaminsky not exactly a rim deterrent, Giannis and company had free forays to the rim whenever they felt like it. 

It was an old-fashioned beatdown, one where Portis had the liberty to scream his heart out like a WWE wrestler performs stage promos.

Led by Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson, Phoenix regained its shooting touch in the second half, but the hole on D caused by the absence of their lone legitimate rim protector was too tall a task to overcome. 

“I’m not going to get into complaining publicly about fouls, just not going to do that,” Williams said. “But you can look – we had 16 free throws tonight. One person had 17… we got to learn from that. We got to beat guys to the spot. [Deandre will] grow from this. I promise you he will.”

Ayton had 16 points before the half, continuing his impressive stretch of playing like a grizzled vet despite being in only his first postseason. Paul, who finished with 19 points and 9 assists, was playing well, too. At one point the Suns went up 36-30 and threatened to blow the series wide open. 

But like they’ve done all playoffs long, by hook or by crook, Milwaukee responded, taking control of their fate just when they seemed down for the count. 

“I think we got to go back and look at the film,” Paul said after. “Obviously, they were home, they were very aggressive, got to the line a lot more than we did, much like game two. So, we got to try to build a wall somehow, someway, and try to limit the guys from scoring.”

That’s easier said than done, especially when Ayton is riding the bench instead of raising his arms to contest. No one will doubt that Paul and Devin Booker are Phoenix’s best players, but in a series like this, where the opposition’s biggest strength is an imposing MVP with the physical stature of a Greek demigod, Deandre is the Suns’ most important player.

“Sometimes you’re going to get a good whistle, sometimes you’re going to get a bad whistle,” Paul said of Ayton. 

“But he’s playing hard. That is a talent in itself. And then it’s tough, man, Giannis coming at you full speed like a running back, you know what I mean?”

The Bucks outrebounded the Suns, 47 to 36. They scored more in the paint, 54 to 40. 

They forced Phoenix to 15 turnovers which led to 17 points. In contrast, Milwaukee turned the ball over 9 times which resulted to 10 points. 

It’s typically the home team that sets the pace of the contest in the playoffs. That was definitely the case in Game 3. The Bucks made it a point to attack their adversaries with brute force and physicality. Phoenix had no recourse.

Of course, it didn’t help that Booker had only 10 points and shot 3-of-14 from the floor. After having a legendary game two which justified comparisons of him to Kobe Bryant, Phoenix’s franchise cornerstone rode the bench to close a forgettable game.

“The most important part to me is winning the game and we didn’t do that, so I’m more frustrated about that,” Booker said. “But we have a few days off here. We’re going to get back right and going to go over film and be ready [for game four.]”

To the Suns’ credit, they’ve responded well when dealing with adversity. Phoenix bounced back after going down 1-2 to the defending champion Lakers, swept the team led by this season’s MVP, went up 2-0 on the Clippers despite not having Paul, increased that to 3-1 after LA took game three, and then closed it out in 6. 

But Milwaukee is different from everyone else they’ve eliminated. The Bucks are nearly unbeatable at home, they have their best players available to play, and they are the only other team in addition to the Suns who have shown the most willingness to adapt and survive in this year’s playoffs. 

“The point of the game is to win it, and I think there were other things that went on throughout the game,” Booker claimed. “You can say it’s a make-miss game, but at the end of the day you have to make the other team miss and get easy opportunities for your team. We didn’t do that tonight.”

Phoenix remains in control of this series. 

But Milwaukee is playing like a team motivated to change that.  – Rappler.com