Suns coach Monty Williams’ message to his team after their loss in Game 4 of the NBA Finals was that they have homecourt advantage and their mistakes were fixable. That’s not the case now.
After battling from behind, Phoenix looked to be in prime position to possibly win Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Behind a 27-foot fadeaway 3-pointer by Devin Booker and a Chris Paul layup, the Suns cut Milwaukee’s 6-point lead to one point with 56 seconds remaining in the game.
After the Suns got a defensive stop, Jrue Holiday forced an almost immediate turnover on Devin Booker which would end with Chris Paul fouling Giannis Antetokounmpo during an alley-oop dunk on the other end.
Ironically, Antetokounmpo missed his free throw so bad that he’d get his own rebound and pass to Khris Middleton who’d then ice the game by making just one of his free throws.
The Suns’ final shot by Booker would fall short and the Bucks won 123-119 on the road in Game 5 of the Finals.
Antetokounmpo finished with 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the win. Middleton scored 29 points, and Holiday added 27 points and 13 assists. They are the fifth trio in NBA Finals history to each record 25-plus points on 50 percent shooting in a game, according to ESPN.
For the second-straight night, another 40-point scoring from Booker was wasted. Paul had 21 points and 11 assists, and Deandre Ayton provided 20 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
For the first 12 minutes of the game, the Suns looked dominant at home, a place where they’ve only lost twice in these playoffs. Phoenix shot 73 percent (14-19 Fg) from the field and 83 (5-6 3pt) percent from three-point range, fueling them to lead 37-21 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the tables would quicky turn. Milwaukee began the quarter on a 21-5 run and would overcome the 16-point deficit in the first seven minutes. The Bucks’ 43-point second quarter helped them gain a 3-point lead at halftime.
After picking up two early fouls, Holiday had a massive second quarter by giving the Bucks 14 points and five assists in just over 10 minutes of play.
The Bucks would continue their strings of runs by beginning the third quarter on a 21-14 run that’d give them a 10-point lead. From that point on, Milwaukee never took their foot off the gas.
The Bucks shot 71 (32-45 Fg) percent throughout the second and third quarters, outscoring the Suns 79-53 over that stretch. In the game, they also won the minutes when Antetokounmpo was off the floor by 11 points, something that usually doesn’t happen.
The Bucks are now just one win away from their first title since 1971 as they head back home for Game 6 on Tuesday.
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