Milwaukee Bucks: 3 areas to improve on the road in Game 5 of NBA Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks must improve their fast break defense vs. Phoenix Suns on the road

Fast break defense was something the Bucks excelled at for a majority of the season, priding themselves on hustling back defensively to prevent easy baskets.

However, that formidable presence crumbled throughout the first two games in this series as the Suns took off running and capitalized consistently. According to NBA.com/stats, they would score a combined 27 points during those first two meetings, which is simply an unacceptable number for the Bucks to allow, given their prowess on that side of the ball and particularly that specific aspect defensively.

Back at home, they tightened up their defense and surrendered just six total points in fast break situations over two games. That is certainly a massive improvement compared to how freely they were letting the Suns operate back in Phoenix. That team is stacked with players that love to get out in the open floor, most notably their lethal guard combo, and they will undoubtedly make their opponents pay from all over the floor whether it be at the rim, mid-range, or behind the arc.

For the Bucks, getting back on defense sounds like a simple formula to stop these opportunities from reaching dangerous levels. Hustling back was routine for them in the last two games, but it was far from that during the first two meetings in Phoenix. Hitting the road once again, the Bucks must aim to flip the script and keep this aggressive defensive approach in fast break situations consistently away from their home floor.