2021 NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks vs Phoenix Suns BUCKS WIN THE TITLE!!!!

[GAME05]

Nah, you're wrong all due respect. We're fine. Couple of adjustments and a few more made baskets and that's a win. They really didn't see the Bucks at their best by a mile. We can draw more fouls than we did, we can stop them from dribbling anywhere, and Lopez will be more visible from now on. Consider the huge change from game 1 against the Hawks to game 2.

[adambr2]

I guess we'll see. I don't see us winning this series, and that's ok. I don't think Phoenix saw our best, but it was a far cry from our worst, too.

[DuWayne Steurer]

We'll see. Nets clowned us game 1 and 2. Atl stole game 1 in MKE. Not like they haven't been here before.

 

People talking up PHX like they're some kind of super team. They're good. Maybe slightly better than the Bucks. (Better coach). This isn't like the powerhouse Warriors or title run Bulls.

 

If we lose, we lose. But it's not over.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I guess we'll see. I don't see us winning this series, and that's ok. I don't think Phoenix saw our best, but it was a far cry from our worst, too.

 

It's one game in a 7-game series. I think it's prudent to see how they look tomorrow, and even Game 3 before drawing any conclusions. If they go down 2-0, it would be bad. 3-0, and they are toast.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I don't know why people continue drawing super broad conclusions from one game. The Bucks have had games this playoffs where they look absolutely awful. It is normal. The Cavs went up 2-1 on GS the first year and got blown out 3 times.

 

I've heard the "but the Bucks looked good and still lost," and...I don't think we were watching the same game. The Bucks may lose, I mean I predicted Suns in 5, though I thought Giannis wasn't playing or was badly hobbled. I think this is going to go 7. I'd still give the edge to PHX, they just seem to have more reliable shot creators and a nice big man to complement it, but let's see how G2 goes. Everybody wanted a split going to MKE and that's still totally in play. We were going to lose games this series and I don't really care how they are lost, personally.

[MrTPlush]

Wasn't a bad game, but wasn't great either. Giannis played 35 minutes, which was nice to see...even looked pretty athletic out there. He should continue to be a stronger force as long aas he stays healthy. It was nice to see Middleton continue to say pretty hot, bench provided some decent play, and Lopez was fairly productive.

 

The Suns may not have seen the Bucks 'best', but then again that is a pretty rare occurrence to happen in the playoffs. While the Bucks have a strong roster, consistency is not a strong point. Good thing it hasn't been for the Suns either. Looking at box scores Booker/Paul have been spotty themselves.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I felt there was some obvious hesitancy from Giannis. Don't know if that's being hurt or just being rusty. He looked sloppier than usual while finishing and going after loose balls and not quite "there" defensively. Could just be that I was looking for it, but it didn't feel like he was all there.

[homer]

I thought the free-throw disparity was a joke.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It was worse than the box too, a lot worse. We made up some ground in garbage time. The NBA has a way of balancing that out from game to game.

[PeaveyFury]

It was worse than the box too, a lot worse. We made up some ground in garbage time. The NBA has a way of balancing that out from game to game.

 

Yeah, there were some fouls late that skewed it a bit back towards Milwaukee, but that has to change in game 2 to have a shot at a win.

[adambr2]

I don't know why people continue drawing super broad conclusions from one game. The Bucks have had games this playoffs where they look absolutely awful. It is normal. The Cavs went up 2-1 on GS the first year and got blown out 3 times.

 

I've heard the "but the Bucks looked good and still lost," and...I don't think we were watching the same game. The Bucks may lose, I mean I predicted Suns in 5, though I thought Giannis wasn't playing or was badly hobbled. I think this is going to go 7. I'd still give the edge to PHX, they just seem to have more reliable shot creators and a nice big man to complement it, but let's see how G2 goes. Everybody wanted a split going to MKE and that's still totally in play. We were going to lose games this series and I don't really care how they are lost, personally.

 

I don't think the series is over by any means, though I definitely think the Suns win it right now.

 

I don't buy into the idea that the Bucks didn't look good, though. You said yourself after Q1 that you would take that first quarter on the road any day. The Bucks, I would guess, had their best 3 point shooting game of the playoffs. Giannis had 20 and 17 in his first game back. There's no one you can pick out that played a horrible game...we just lost. You could pick out Crowder's game and Booker's 1 for 8 from 3 and say that they have more room for improvement than we do.

 

We missed some bunnies, but that didn't cost us the game. They rebounded well. They could stand to cut down on their turnovers, but it wasn't a crap show.

 

Giannis going 7 for 12 from the line isn't great....but that's his usual numbers these days. Phoenix was absolutely lethal from the line and that was probably the biggest difference in the game.

 

I'm not writing off the series, but the Suns look decidedly better. Budd has some adjustments to make to figure this one out. They need to figure out a way to steal Game 2.

[adambr2]

Also, I like Brook a lot but he is a bad fit for this series. They just were setting one screen on top with whoever he was guarding so he would switch on to either Paul or Booker and then they would just blow past him or shoot over the top. He was trying but just not athletic enough to keep up.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Yeah I just won't agree that the missed bunnies didn't hurt significantly. You can't just tack on missed shots to the box score and go "well that only made up 8 points." The flow of the game matters in the NBA. If you're up 4 instead of down 4 after one, that matters. If we get fouled on 3 or 4 of those, their rotations are affected.

 

Then there are the FT stats and 3PT FG made, both of which were skewed our way after we were down double digits.

 

So yes, I do think that the bunnies and the FTs is what ultimately decided the game. Maybe not decided, but took what should have been an exciting finish and made it rather duddy. I'll give PHX credit though, they make their open looks and at least last night, were much crisper with the ball.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I don't know why people continue drawing super broad conclusions from one game. The Bucks have had games this playoffs where they look absolutely awful. It is normal. The Cavs went up 2-1 on GS the first year and got blown out 3 times.

 

I've heard the "but the Bucks looked good and still lost," and...I don't think we were watching the same game. The Bucks may lose, I mean I predicted Suns in 5, though I thought Giannis wasn't playing or was badly hobbled. I think this is going to go 7. I'd still give the edge to PHX, they just seem to have more reliable shot creators and a nice big man to complement it, but let's see how G2 goes. Everybody wanted a split going to MKE and that's still totally in play. We were going to lose games this series and I don't really care how they are lost, personally.

 

I don't think the series is over by any means, though I definitely think the Suns win it right now.

 

I don't buy into the idea that the Bucks didn't look good, though. You said yourself after Q1 that you would take that first quarter on the road any day. The Bucks, I would guess, had their best 3 point shooting game of the playoffs. Giannis had 20 and 17 in his first game back. There's no one you can pick out that played a horrible game...we just lost. You could pick out Crowder's game and Booker's 1 for 8 from 3 and say that they have more room for improvement than we do.

 

We missed some bunnies, but that didn't cost us the game. They rebounded well. They could stand to cut down on their turnovers, but it wasn't a crap show.

 

Giannis going 7 for 12 from the line isn't great....but that's his usual numbers these days. Phoenix was absolutely lethal from the line and that was probably the biggest difference in the game.

 

I'm not writing off the series, but the Suns look decidedly better. Budd has some adjustments to make to figure this one out. They need to figure out a way to steal Game 2.

 

The key was the 3rd quarter. The Suns stretched an 8-point lead to 20. Everything the Suns threw up in the 3rd went down, and the Bucks were uncharacteristically lazy both on defense and on the glass during that quarter. They also had a bunch of bad offensive possessions that ended in poor shot selections.

 

The Suns are an athletic team full of shooters, and led by a very heady, veteran PG who is on a mission. They are a terrible matchup for the Bucks if they try to play the Suns' game. The Bucks need to do what they did in Game 5 against Atlanta, driving the ball inside and taking advantage of their size to counteract Phoenix's mid-range game.

[MrTPlush]

Those missed 2 footers definitely hurt them and changed the game quite a bit. Lopez missed one before that half and the ball went into the net for three points on the other side of the court. Instead of 51-57 it was 49-57. Between that and Jrue Holiday royally sucking that last two minutes of the half could have been real different.

 

I still can't get over this sequence in the 1st Q:

 

Portis missed 11-footer

Lopez rebound

Lopez missed tip shot

Lopez rebound

Lopez missed tip shot

Middleton rebound

Middleton missed lay up

Lopez rebound

Lopez missed tip shot

 

In a matter of 15 seconds they got four offensive rebounds and missed 3 tip-ins and 1 lay up.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There was one particular play in which Booker "drew a foul" but prior to doing that, traveled so blatantly right in from of an official, my jaw dropped when nothing was called.

[pacopete4]

Bucks in 6.

[MrTPlush]

There was one particular play in which Booker "drew a foul" but prior to doing that, traveled so blatantly right in from of an official, my jaw dropped when nothing was called.

 

The announcers were having an absolute fit over a Bucks player drawing a charge on Booker when he didn't have the ball anymore...how the NBA should stop making those calls again. First of all if the guy misses the three the fact our defender got hit like a mac truck under the basket is going to be a big deal trying to rebound the ball. More importantly though...how do you have a problem with the charge call, but not guys jumping into players with zero intention of actually trying to shoot the ball?

 

Would also be nice if our guys could stop crying about no calls during plays. Pretty sure it was Lopez throwing a fit and was totally oblivious that the Bucks got the long rebound. If we was paying attention he could have blocked out his defender and whoever the rebounder was would have had an easy lay up. Instead it ended up contested and was a miss. I know it is kind of an NBA thing to do and the Bucks don't do it as much as some teams....but dang man, just shoot yourself in the foot why don't you.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I actually like the idea of the Bucks going to a zone defense against the Suns in this series to limit their pick and roll game and make their shooters have to create more on their own and have to shoot over length instead of relying on Paul orchestrating and giving them open looks.

 

Aside from Giannis, the fact the rest of the Bucks roster attempted only 4 free throws for the entire game is a joke, too. Booker had 10 while Middleton played 45 minutes, took 26 shots, and never got to the charity stripe.

 

For me the biggest bit of news from Game 1 is Giannis seemed to get through playing a game on his knee unscathed, which is a very good sign for the Bucks. Yes, Milwaukee lost game 1 but there wasn't anything from last night's game the Suns did that screamed to me the Bucks won't be able to compete and wind up on top if they play better offensively.

[GAME05]

I'm counting on the Bucks being able to mitigate their pick and roll at least a little bit more, as well as stopping their guards from being able to dribble wherever they want inside the 3-point line. That alone accounted for a lot of points. It looked like Bud was trying to better-defend their pick and roll every time he brought Forbes in.

 

Bad calls aside, the Bucks also took a lot of jumpshots and didn't drive to the basket near as much as they usually do. That accounts for a lot of potential foul calls, too.

[CheezWizHed]

Those missed 2 footers definitely hurt them and changed the game quite a bit. Lopez missed one before that half and the ball went into the net for three points on the other side of the court. Instead of 51-57 it was 49-57. Between that and Jrue Holiday royally sucking that last two minutes of the half could have been real different.

 

I still can't get over this sequence in the 1st Q:

 

Portis missed 11-footer

Lopez rebound

Lopez missed tip shot

Lopez rebound

Lopez missed tip shot

Middleton rebound

Middleton missed lay up

Lopez rebound

Lopez missed tip shot

 

In a matter of 15 seconds they got four offensive rebounds and missed 3 tip-ins and 1 lay up.

 

I think my family was tired of me yelling, "Why can't you hit a layup?!?"

[PinaMadness]

Ok, I'm no Bud fan by any means but this is just ludicrous, at least the title is. I'm almost ashamed to post the link because it doesn't deserve clicks.

 

https://deadspin.com/this-was-better-than-jason-kidd-1847242770?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=dlvrit&utm_content=deadspin

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Deadspin became trash during the buyout. It's no more dignified than the musings of a random guy on Reddit now.

[SeaBass]

I think this is a really good way of pointing out optimism for the Bucks, I know it's a Cowherd video but it's worth listening to the first 2 minutes. I checked out after that.

 

[rickh150]

Bucks outscored Suns with Giannis on the floor in Game 1 in those 35 minutes….wow, what a stat.