There’s very little time for the Milwaukee Bucks to rest on their laurels after making their long-awaited return back to the NBA Finals after 47 years.
After making it out of the Eastern Conference by defeating the Atlanta Hawks in six games, the Bucks have returned back to the Finals where they’ll get set to take on the Phoenix Suns, who came out of the West after defeating the L.A. Clippers.
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The Suns took both games against the Bucks by pulling out a 125-124 win on February 10 and a 127-126 overtime victory at Fiserv Forum back on April 19.
With the Suns having wrestled away the season series by a combined 2-point margin in both matchups during the regular season campaign, the Bucks know first-hand the significant test that awaits them, along with the stage and spotlight that comes with this special opportunity.
So without further ado, let’s jump into some of the biggest takeaways that emerged from the Milwaukee Bucks’ season series with the Phoenix Suns.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo feasted against Phoenix Suns
Make no mistake, some of Giannis Antetokounmpo greatest regular season performances this year came against the Suns.
The two-time MVP averaged 40 points while shooting 27-for-45 from the field (60 percent) and was 0-for-5 from 3-point range. Along with that, Antetokounmpo went 26-for-31 from the free throw line and the 83.9 percent Antetokounmpo shot on such a high volume of attempts from the foul line was the fourth-highest mark for him against an opponent this regular season.
As we saw from both battles against the Suns, Antetokounmpo had plenty of opportunities going at Deandre Ayton as the Suns largely sent little help towards Antetokounmpo’s way as he rampaged his way towards the rim. Per NBA.com/stats, Antetokounmpo scored 34 points on just 10-for-24 shooting from the field (41.7 percent), but went a perfect 14-for-14 from the line across 50.2 partial possessions. No player committed more shooting fouls on Antetokounmpo than Ayton this season.
Of course, we’ll see just how limited Antetokounmpo is going into the series after having suffered a left knee hyperextension in the Bucks’ series with the Hawks last round. Had that series gone to seven games, Antetokounmpo may have reportedly played in a theoretical Game 7.
Thankfully, the Bucks made sure we didn’t have to see the series go that long, but intrigue and speculation still surrounds Antetokounmpo’s status all the same.
Phoenix Suns burned the Milwaukee Bucks on catch-and-shoot opportunities
All throughout this season, the Suns put together an effective and lethal offensive unit headlined by the maestro-like talents of both Devin Booker and future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul.
Both Booker and Paul rose their games up to the level of the Bucks in the two regular season meetings this year and have obviously battled through plenty of pain to continue lead Phoenix back to the Finals for the first time in 28 years. And with both All-Stars pulling the strings for the Suns’ offense, Phoenix made good on the opportunities generated from the likes of Paul, Booker and as a whole.
To that point, the Suns averaged the most catch-and-shoot points (47.5) of any Bucks opponent this season and they did so on a 70.9 effective field goal percentage, a mark that only trailed the Utah Jazz. That played a large part in why the Suns had seven players average double figures when facing up against the Bucks this season.
The probing that both Booker and Paul do so well at combined with the shooting threats the Suns have collected between the likes of Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges and the ever-streaky Jae Crowder can test even the greatest defenses.
We’ve obviously seen the Bucks step their game up on that side of the ball over the course of this playoff run. They have the best defensive efficiency by allowing 105 points per 100 possessions against their playoff opponents.
When the Bucks met against the Suns during the regular season, they hadn’t yet fully realized their defensive evolution and didn’t even have the pieces in place like P.J. Tucker like in that February 10 meeting. Even so, staying connected on that side of the floor will be ever so important for a team like the Bucks, especially with the questions surrounding Antetokounmpo’s injury.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ meetings against the Phoenix Suns went down to the wire
Last but certainly not least, we can only hope the captivating finishes between the Bucks and the Suns will serve as a precursor to what’s in store for these NBA Finals.
The tense affairs between the Bucks and Suns during the regular season tested the Bucks in ways that have only sharpened them further going into the postseason. No team played more clutch time minutes (13) against the Bucks this year than the Suns did.
Those thrilling finishes obviously didn’t end well in the Bucks’ favor. That loss back on February 10 saw the Bucks slip a 12-point lead as late as the third quarter that Phoenix quickly answered and forced the Bucks to have to come back from behind. In the end, a last-second jumper attempt from Antetokounmpo going awry.
A similar set of circumstances unfolded back on April that left the Bucks their only overtime defeat of the season. With 16 ties and 24 lead changes traded back with one another, the Bucks let slip a 7-point lead built late in the fourth quarter that the Suns answered and were able to eventually force overtime.
Even after losing Antetokounmpo to injury midway through the overtime period, the Bucks put themselves in a position to extend the game into double overtime until controversy arose from a questionable shooting foul called on P.J. Tucker. That left Booker to finish the win with the decisive free throw make and give the Suns the victory.
Because of those second half collapses and hard-fought meetings, the Suns finished with a +21.2 net rating over those aforementioned clutch time minutes. The Bucks have proven that they are much better than those late collapses against the Suns as evidenced by their +15.4 net rating over their 37 clutch time minutes in the playoffs.
Still, those slip ups still prove relevant against a Suns team that will absolutely capitalize on the Bucks’ mistakes. Being able to put forth a complete performance, especially over those clutch late game minutes, will be crucial for the Bucks to achieve and complete their quest for an NBA championship.