Milwaukee Bucks: 3 areas to improve on the road in Game 5 of NBA Finals
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns have provided no shortage of headlines throughout the first four games of the 2021 NBA Finals.
After jumping out to an early 2-0 lead by winning both games on their home floor, Phoenix looked to be in control of the series, but Milwaukee has certainly responded. With the next two games on their home floor, the Bucks made this a series by winning decisively 120-100 in Game 3 and then evening things up with a massive 109-103 victory in Game 4.
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With the series now knotted at 2-2, these two teams will head back to Phoenix for a must-see Game 5 in this best of seven series. After dropping the first two games on the road, this rejuvenated Milwaukee team will certainly look for a different end result this time around as the road team.
For them to do so, the Bucks must look at several key factors that played into their losses during those first two contests that improved drastically while they were back at Fiserv Forum in their consecutive wins.
With that being said, here are three improvements the Bucks must make on the road as they prepare for a pivotal Game 5 this Saturday.
The Milwaukee Bucks must improve their free throw shooting on the road vs. Phoenix Suns
The Bucks are far from what one would call an elite shooting team from the free throw line. They have struggled to knock down shots at the charity stripe all season, and the disparity in numbers when playing on the road versus at home in this series is vast.
Throughout the first two road games, the Bucks shot a collective 24-of-39 (61.5 percent) from the stripe, struggling to get those extra points on the scoreboard. It was certainly grueling to watch at times, but they looked far more composed at the line on their home floor. The Bucks would shoot a much better 44-of-55 (80 percent) from the line in front of the crowd as Fiserv Forum, doing a much more applaudable job to cash in at the stripe.
As they prepare to hit the road once more, the Bucks must keep that same success rolling that they saw in the previous two games when they head to the line. Of course, the name that will be under heavy surveillance is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been bombarded with counting from the opposing crowds hoping they will ultimately persuade the referees into giving the Greek Freak a 10-second violation. Antetokounmpo understands that this counting will likely stick with him moving forward and that all he can do is step to the line and look to knock the shots down.
During the first two games in Phoenix, Antetokounmpo would shoot 18-of-30 (60 percent) from the charity stripe, which could have been better. With the crowd refraining from counting back at home, Antetokounmpo would see his attempts decrease but his efficiency increase mightily as he shot 17-of-25 (68 percent) from the line over the last two games. Not letting that Phoenix crowd deter him and silencing them by hitting his shots will be a key factor with the team set to hit the road once more.
The Bucks looked far better at the free throw line playing at home than they did as the visitors in this series, and they must look to translate that hometown rhythm as the road team this time.