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The Phoenix Suns suffered a devastating 109-103 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday.
Devin Booker had a bounceback game for the ages with 42 points, including an 18-point third-quarter explosion on perfect 7-of-7 shooting.
Despite leading most of the way, the Phoenix Suns scored just 21 points in the fourth quarter and were buried in a barrage of points by the Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton, who had 14 points in that period. It was a difficult loss to swallow for the Suns, who played excellent defense for the first three quarters.
Booker had an exquisite shooting night but had four turnovers and five fouls.
As the series shifts to Phoenix, the Suns will look to regain the advantage they lost after losing two straight games to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Here are 5 reasons why the Phoenix Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals:
#1 Devin Booker got into foul trouble against Milwaukee Bucks
Devin Booker’s shooting in Game 4 was otherworldly, to say the least. When he picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams had to sit him out and let his teammates do the work.
The Phoenix Suns didn’t give up the lead while he was out and even led by seven with 8:39 left to play. However, without the threat of Booker’s hot shooting for most of the fourth quarter, the Suns couldn’t extend their lead further.
#2 Phoenix Suns turned the ball over too much
The Milwaukee Bucks protected the basketball, while the Phoenix Suns gave it up 17 times in Game 4. This resulted in 24 points off turnovers, while they had zero fastbreak points. Paul alone matched the Bucks’ five total turnovers for the entire game.
Furthermore, the Suns had five turnovers in an all-too crucial fourth quarter, allowing the Bucks to come back from a seven-point deficit early in the period.
#3 Chris Paul had an off game
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul put in one of the worst performances in the playoffs on Wednesday.
After playing well in the first three games of the NBA Finals, Paul was a shell of himself in Game 4. The future Hall of Famer coughed up the ball five times and had a -10 plus/minus against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Paul scored just 10 points on a horrid 5-of-13 shooting, with seven assists and four rebounds.
#4 Milwaukee Bucks owned the painted area again
The Phoenix Suns were scoring inside and were owning the glass through three quarters. However, a concerted effort from the Milwaukee Bucks in the last 12 minutes resulted in an 18-8 rebounding advantage for the home team.
Additionally, after both teams scored 34 points in the paint after the third period, the Phoenix Suns gave up 12 points in the shaded area in the fourth quarter. In a tight contest like this, with both teams scrambling for points, that spelled the difference in the game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo accounted for five of those 18 rebounds as he exerted his dominance inside.
Deandre Ayton only had six points but was a beast on the glass with 17 rebounds. He had four of the Phoenix Suns’ eight boards in the final quarter.
#5 Phoenix Suns couldn’t stop Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton had his best game of the postseason on Wednesday, scoring a playoff career-high 40 points on 15-of-33 shooting to virtually match Booker’s sizzling performance.
The Milwaukee Bucks forward started out strong in the first quarter and poured gasoline on his game in the final period, scoring 10 straight points down the stretch.
Phoenix Suns forwards Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges were Middleton’s primary defenders. However, the Milwaukee Bucks’ All-Star shed them in pick-and-roll situations and converted on a bunch of mid-range shots.
Also Read: 5 times Devin Booker responded in the 2021 NBA Playoffs after poor shooting games
