Game Three: Giannis Dominates Again

The Milwaukee Bucks had two days off to reflect on their situation and prepare for Game Three of the NBA Finals. The Bucks entered the game with their backs to the wall. Down 2-0 in the championship series against the Phoenix Suns, the Bucks were now in the safe confines of their home court for not only this game, but Game Four as well. However, that is not enough. The Bucks needed to win these games, because a loss would be immensely detrimental to the team.

The first quarter was back and forth, but the Suns ended up winning the first frame. However, the second quarter was all Bucks, as Milwaukee outshot, outplayed, and outclassed the Suns in the final 12 minutes of the first half. The Bucks outscored the Suns 35-17 (a 2-1 margin) in the second quarter, which included a 30-9 run in the final nine minutes. The Bucks led by 15 at the half, though the second half began with Phoenix whittling that lead down to as little as six points. However, the Bucks took over the rest of the way, and the result saw the Milwaukee Bucks take Game Three by a score of 120-100, making this a series.

May 6, 1974. That was the last time the Bucks won an NBA Finals game. As usual, the leader in Game Three for the Bucks was the Greek Freak himself, Giannis Antetokounmpo, racking up 41 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists--falling four helpers shy of a triple-double. For Giannis, this was his second straight 40-10 game, and he became the third player to achieve such a feat in back-to-back NBA Finals games, joining Shaquille O'Neal (2000) and LeBron James (2016) on that short list. Jrue Holiday nearly picked up a double-double; scoring 21 points and racking up nine assists, while going 5-for-10 from behind the arc. Chris Middleton scored 18 points in the Bucks' victory.

As for the Suns, Chris Paul led the team with 19 points and nine assists, and Jae Crowder scored 18 points of his own and went 6-for-7 from behind the three-point line. Deandre Ayton also scored 18 and had nine rebounds, but the story from the Suns' Game Three was Devin Booker. Booker did not have a good performance, only scoring 10 points and going 1-for-7 from behind the arc, very uncharacteristic of the Suns' young star. Mikal Bridges also underperformed; four points in 27:21 of game time, leading to both Bridges and Booker sitting out most of the second half due to the Bucks pretty much having the game sealed.

The Bucks needed this win very badly. A loss would have put them down 3-0 and would have declared the NBA Finals all but over. Now it's a series, but even so, it's 2-1 in favor of the Suns. Game Four is Wednesday in Milwaukee, so again, the Bucks have two days off to assess their situation before they have the chance to even this up. The reason why Game Four is Wednesday and not Tuesday is because of MLB's All-Star Game; they cannot have a Finals game clashing with baseball's Mid-Summer Classic. While the Bucks have a chance to even the Finals, the Suns have a golden chance ahead of them. A win in Game Four would put the Suns just one win away from their very first NBA Championship, and give them the chance to clinch said championship on their home court.

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