Photo via Twitter / Bucks
Going into game four of the NBA Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks had their work cut out for them. Down two games to one in the best-of-seven series, it was crucial to defend their home court, just as the Phoenix Suns did in the first pair of games in the series.
To say Wednesday night’s contest was physical would be an understatement. Phoenix opened the game to take a 10-4 lead, and would hold it for the entirety of the first quarter. Milwaukee’s primary objective in the opening period seemed to be keeping the game within one possession, while getting Giannis Antetokounmpo started offensively. The Bucks found themselves often having to respond to big shots from the Suns, including Devin Booker, who put on an offensive display all night. Phoenix’s Chris Paul, however, remained relatively silent, as did the Bucks’ Jrue Holiday, whose offensive input helped propel Milwaukee past the Suns in game three of the series.
It would take until midway through the second quarter for Milwaukee to finally tie the game, on the heels of a Brook Lopez layup midway through the period. The teams would trade big buckets, but ultimately went into the halftime break tied up, 52-52. It was clear that the referees were going to allow a lot of contact throughout the night, and they especially did underneath the basket, with both teams looking for foul calls in the paint.
The second half of the game would be just as physical, though the Bucks’ presence inside would begin to frustrate the suns. Early in the third quarter, Phoenix had picked up four team fouls, and Devin Booker, who had carried Phoenix from a scoring standpoint, quickly found himself in foul trouble. When he was forced to sit, Chris Paul’s game finally picked up, accumulating the majority of only 10 points on the night. Milwaukee would let the Phoenix lead up to as much as six points to finish the quarter, and with 12 minutes left to play, the Bucks were once again staring down a tough road ahead.
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The fourth quarter began to swing momentum in Milwaukee’s favor, with a much-needed gift in Devin Booker picking up his fifth foul. Booker would be relegated to the bench, much to his own frustration, for much of the closing period. Hustle plays would ignite Fiserv Forum, such as a Giannis Antetokounmpo steal and breakaway dunk on a routine side-out inbound play. Milwaukee was able to scrap with the Suns, keeping things within five points midway through the quarter. Booker would re-enter the game for Phoenix, and should have fouled out with a obvious hack on a Jrue Holiday layup attempt. Fortunately, the ball deflected to Giannis, whose put-back would make it a one-point game with three and a half minutes in regulation. Antetokounmpo would come up big on the next play, with a block and nifty no-look pass to Pat Connaughton for a corner three-pointer and the lead.
There was a surprising calm in the Milwaukee offense with the final two minutes of play, though a thriller was likely in the works. A Khris Middleton shot would put the Bucks ahead, but a defensive sequence that included an explosive Giannis Antetokounmpo block that should go down in NBA Finals history, and a Chris Paul turnover converted into points had Fiserv Forum shaking with sound. Middleton would single-handedly go on an 8-0 run for Milwaukee to put things away, leaving Phoenix to foul, and Milwaukee to win by a final of 109-103. Middleton took over for Milwaukee offensively, finishing with 40 points and picking up for the glaring weak spots in the Bucks’ offense. Chants of “Bucks in six” flooded Fiserv Forum as the final free throws were shot.
The Bucks now are tied with the Phoenix Suns, 2-2, and the home team has won every contest. Game five will take place on Saturday night at 8 p.m. from Phoenix, airing nationally on ABC. Another large crowd, estimated at 20,000 fans, mobbed Deer District outside of the arena, and fans are once again encouraged to do so on Saturday night, and Tuesday for game six as well. Wednesday night’s contest was only the second NBA Finals game in Milwaukee in 47 years, but the Bucks ensured that it would not be the last.
