The Milwaukee Bucks put forth significantly stouter effort in Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Phoenix, but they still lost by ten. Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 42 points for the visitors, but the likes of Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton failed to step up as well, and the Suns were able to pull away, led by 31 points from Devin Booker. Now the sports betting odds have lengthened for the Bucks. Remember, of course, that the Bucks trailed the Brooklyn Nets, 2-0, before coming back to win that series in seven games. The Nets did lose Kyrie Irving to a sprained ankle, but that came after two spirited wins for Milwaukee at home.
As the series shifts to Wisconsin, let’s take a look at what we can expect going into Game 3 NBA Odds.
NBA News: Finals Update
Team Championship Odds
Phoenix Suns -500 / Milwaukee Bucks +375
It wasn’t just Devin Booker filling up the basket in Phoenix’s Game 2 win. The team was remarkably unselfish, running a ten-pass play that finished with a Deandre Ayton basket. Chris Paul put up 23 points in another ageless performance. Booker made seven shots from downtown as Phoenix made 20 of 40 shots from three-point land. Mikal Bridges added 27 points. Paul also contributed eight assists. These efforts pushed Phoenix to a big lead late in the first half and helped them weather the storm when Giannis put the team on his back.
Milwaukee led by three after the first quarter, but then the Suns reeled off a 30-16 second quarter. Jrue Holiday was more aggressive than he was in Game 1, but his shooting was still off, as he went just 7 of 21 for 17 points. Khris Middleton went just 5 of 16 on the night. Giannis had 15 baskets, more than twice as many as any of his teammates. So when Phoenix started the third quarter with a mini-run that saw them go up 65-50, it was only Giannis opposing them. The Bucks had 33 points in the third period, 20 from Giannis. The Bucks closed within six points in the fourth period, but then Paul drilled a three-ball and Bridges added a basket for a quick 5-0 run to reinstate the double-digit lead.
The Bucks dominated the paint, outsourcing Phoenix 20-0 inside in the first period. The Suns scored 26 points in the period, making eight three-pointers. If the Suns can continue to shoot this well, then they look set with their distribution scheme. If the shooters get cold, though, then the Bucks have an opportunity to come back. We saw the Milwaukee shooters get ice-cold in the second period, going 6 of 25 and 2 of 12 from behind the arc.
The biggest question that Milwaukee has to answer is how to improve their outside shooting. Phoenix outscored Milwaukee by 33 points from behind the arc, as the Bucks only went 9 of 31 from three-point land. On uncontested three-pointers, Milwaukee had 18 shots — but only managed to make six.
One story from Phoenix that is not getting enough attention is Mikal Bridges, who was drafted tenth overall in 2018 because of his outside shooting and his shutdown defense. We saw in Game 2 that his versatility goes well beyond that, as the Bucks looked to stop Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Not only did they fail to stop either, but Bridges went off as well, setting a career playoff high with 27 points. There were four times when Milwaukee closed out hard on him and he was able to get to the rim. Having yet another dangerous scorer makes the Suns even more difficult a foe for the Bucks to beat in a comeback.
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