Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory in critical Game 5 vs. Phoenix Suns
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Big 3 must show up in unison during Game 5 vs. the Phoenix Suns
The Bucks undoubtedly have a talented leading trio, but they have scarcely all played up to par simultaneously in this series.
For reference, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s otherworldly 42 point performance in Game 2 resulted in a brutal loss as Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday combined for 28 points on a gruesome 12-of-37 shooting. Most recently, Middleton scored a playoff career-high 40 points in Game 4, while Giannis followed with 26, but Holiday would struggle to score once more by totaling a mere 13 points on an abysmal 4-for-20 shooting.
When these three are all on the same page, this Milwaukee team is lethal. The biggest evidence of this can be found in the team’s 120-100 victory against the Suns in Game 3. Giannis had another dominant performance with 41 points, while Holiday caught the hot hand and scored 21 points, hitting an eye-catching five 3-pointers. Middleton followed with 18 points, which might not jump off the page, but these three were firing on all cylinders and it led to a 20 point victory.
As the series shifts back to the road, all eyes will be fixated on whether or not these three can come together and deliver another top-notch collective effort.
Antetokounmpo showed that he could take over a game, but the big question is whether or not Middleton and Holiday can step up and be those complementary pieces. During his postgame interview following Game 4, Middleton himself acknowledged that he must play better on the road, which he has struggled to do at various points in these playoffs. Holiday will be tasked with scoring more efficiently, an area that he has struggled mightily in during this series no matter where he is on the court.
These three understand the heightened importance of this pivotal Game 5 on the road, and hopefully that can translate to urgency early on to establish themselves.