And just like that, the Milwaukee Bucks have fought their way back into this series after a chaotic four-game stretch to open the NBA Finals.
Winning consecutive matchups on their home floor, the Bucks have come roaring back to tie this series at 2-2 after a treacherous start. With both teams trading punches throughout the first four games, tonight’s Game 5 back in Phoenix will be crucial to see which team can ultimately come out on top and claim a 3-2 series lead in this best of seven.
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For the Bucks, it is no secret that they appeared outmatched during the first two games in The Valley to open up this series, losing both contests by double digits. That early deficit forced them into a hole that they have fortunately dug themselves out of to tie the series.
If the Bucks will avoid another defeat on the road tonight against the Suns, here are three critical keys to victory they should emphasize in Game 5 tonight.
The Milwaukee Bucks must crash the offensive glass in Game 5 vs. Phoenix Suns
Shooting just 40.2 percent from the field and a vile 24.1 percent from 3-point territory in Game 4 versus the Suns, the Bucks were far from efficient in scoring the basketball. However, in spite of those poor shooting numbers, they managed to stay in the game and ultimately win due to their prolific rebounding on the offensive end.
They would pull down an impressive 17 offensive rebounds during the contest, consistently creating extra opportunities for themselves offensively. Giannis Antetokounmpo would lead the charge with five rebounds on the offensive end, which equaled just as many as Phoenix had from their entire roster. The Greek Freak would get some reinforcements on the glass as Jrue Holiday, P.J. Tucker, and Pat Connaughton would all snatch three offensive rebounds apiece.
The Bucks would score 19 second-chance points in part to these rebounding efforts, which practically kept them in the game due to their poor shooting night. According to NBA.com/stats, Antetokounmpo led the way with seven of those points, while center Brook Lopez followed with six of his own in his 19 minutes of burn. Lopez continues seeing his minutes decrease in favor of letting Antetokounmpo take over at center, and although that would seemingly hurt them in the rebounding department, that was not the case in Game 4.
This team has been a stellar rebounding team all throughout the postseason, as they currently have totaled the most offensive rebounds among any team with 273. For reference, the next closest team is the LA Clippers, who gathered 167. With their size and ever-persistent hustle on display, the Bucks must look to keep their foot on the gas when it comes to crashing the glass offensively and scoring extra points when the opportunity presents itself.
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.
The Milwaukee Bucks must limit the Phoenix Suns’ backcourt in Game 5
Slowing down the Suns’ electric backcourt tandem has been high on the “keys to victory” list for the Bucks from the moment this series began. With an array of talented defenders, the results have been mixed thus far, highlighted by some rather lopsided performances from Devin Booker and Chris Paul in Games 3 and 4.
In Game 3, Booker scored just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting, struggling all night to see the ball go through the net. However, it was clear that they would not be able to keep the 24-year-old down forever, as he immediately bounced back for 42 points on 17-of-28 shooting in Game 4. He was virtually unstoppable for most of that contest, hitting tough jumpers consistently no matter which defensive guru the Bucks assigned to guard him, notably cycling through Tucker, Holiday, and Antetokounmpo.
While Booker was on a rampage, Paul would struggle offensively all night by scoring just 10 points on 13 shot attempts. The Bucks did a notable job of keeping him at bay scoring-wise, but they also continued forcing turnovers from the guard. After logging five turnovers in Game 4, Paul has now totaled 17 for the series, which is five less than he garnered throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs in total. Holiday’s defensive prowess has been essential against Paul to help create these giveaways, as seven of those turnovers have come with the First-Team All-Defensive guard as the primary defender.
Booker will hit tough shots, but the Bucks must look to combat that by making them as hard as humanly possible. They have an array of robust defenders to throw in his direction, and they will all be put to the test in trying to slow him down. As for Paul, Holiday will likely see consistent time against the veteran. While Holiday’s offense was unquestionably poor in Game 4, there is no questioning his impact defensively against Paul, which the Bucks will need him to replicate.
This game is shaping up to be must-see, and be sure to catch Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Bucks and Suns tonight at 8:00 p.m. CST on ABC.