Photo via Twitter / Bucks
When the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns took the floor for game one of the NBA Finals, there were likely some nerves from both sides of the court. The Suns have not been to the finals since 1993, and the Bucks last saw a finals series in 1974. Beyond the franchises, many of the players involved in the game were making their first NBA Finals appearance as well. This series is going to be a proving ground for two teams that both have navigated the superstars and large markets in their respective conferences to get to this point, and now both look to secure a championship.
To add to the drama, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had missed a pair of games in the Eastern Conference finals due to a hyperextended left knee, made his return on Tuesday. In the digital era, the news was quick to spread throughout the day leading up to the game. Giannis’ official injury status went from doubtful to questionable, and then ultimately starting as the day went on, increasing optimism for any Bucks skeptics heading into the series. Tuesday night proved to be a test for Antetokounmpo, who saw somewhat limited time by his standards and took his time to factor back into the offensive scheme.
While the Bucks did ultimately fall in game one of the best-of-seven series by a score of 118-105, the game never really felt out of reach for either side, which felt unusual compared to the last three series that Milwaukee has played in. Things were tight through much of the first half, with neither team conceding much defensively. It felt like a primer for a great, competitive series to come. Late in the second quarter, Phoenix went on a small offensive spree to go into the halftime break with an eight point lead, but there was no sense of Milwaukee being dead in the water.
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The second half is when Phoenix were finally able to come to life and break things open. Chris Paul, in his 16th season but only his first NBA Finals, led the Suns offense with 37 points and felt ready to shine on the big stage. Combined with a stint where the Bucks’ offense went cold, Paul had 13 points in the third quarter to expand Phoenix’s advantage to as high as 19 for a moment. Even with that sizeable margin, the game still felt attainable, which is a credit to the Bucks this year.
Milwaukee would, to some extent, pull back some momentum with a run of their own in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to as low as seven points with just over seven minutes to play. There was always a chance that Milwaukee could sneak away with the win, but Phoenix responded whenever the Bucks hit a possible momentum-shifting shot with a bigger basket of their own. The Suns also did a solid job of being physical in the paint on Tuesday night, making life difficult for both Giannis and Brook Lopez in the paint. Milwaukee played much of their starting lineup until the final minute of the game, before ultimately conceding in preparation for game two.
Game two of the NBA Finals tips off at 8 p.m. on Thursday night from Phoenix Suns Arena, airing nationally on ABC. A sizeable crowd gathered at the Deer District as well as inside Fiserv Forum on Tuesday, with more people likely to inhabit the fan zone on Thursday night as well. For information on game watching parties in the Deer District, visit the Bucks website.
