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The Phoenix Suns rained down 3-pointers on the Milwaukee Bucks, who were annihilated 118-108 in Game 2 of the 2021 NBA Finals on Thursday. The 2-0 series lead means the Suns are now two wins away from the franchise’s first NBA championship since its inception in 1968.
Knocking down 20 of their 40 attempts from beyond the arc, the Phoenix Suns were nearly unstoppable on offense in Game 2 and have now positioned themselves to perhaps sweep the Milwaukee Bucks.
The series shifts to Milwaukee, where the Bucks are 7-1 in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The Phoenix Suns have five opportunities to win two more games to secure the championship, but if they take care of business on Sunday, they could be looking at another “Suns in 4” series.
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The Phoenix Suns’ chances of a sweep
In league history, a team has taken a 2-0 lead 35 times in the NBA Finals and 31 of those teams have gone on to win the championship, but not all of them have resulted in a sweep. Of those 31 teams, only nine of them swept their opponent, with the last one happening just three years ago. Here is the short list of Finals sweeps in NBA history:
- 2017-18 Golden State Warriors defeat Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs defeat Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers defeat New Jersey Nets
- 1994-95 Houston Rockets defeat Orlando Magic
- 1988-89 Detroit Pistons defeat Los Angeles Lakers
- 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers defeat Los Angeles Lakers
- 1974-75 Golden State Warriors defeat Washington Bullets
- 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks defeat Baltimore Bullets
- 1958-59 Boston Celtics defeat Minneapolis Lakers
As history shows, the Phoenix Suns have a 25.7 percent chance of taking out the broom in the NBA Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Here are 3 reasons why the Phoenix Suns could sweep the Milwaukee Bucks:
#1 Phoenix Suns are dominating Milwaukee Bucks even when stars struggle
There’s a reason why the Phoenix Suns have won Games 1 and 2 by double-digits and scored 118 points each time. The Milwaukee Bucks have not found a solution to the Suns’ offensive firepower that gives every player on the floor an opportunity to score.
In the first game, with Jae Crowder struggling and scoring just one point, six other players scored in double-figures. In Game 2, the Milwaukee Bucks were determined to put the clamps on Deandre Ayton, and they did. After dominating the paint in Game 1 with 22 points and 19 rebounds, Ayton only had 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting to go along with 11 boards on Thursday.
Five players scored in double-digits in Game 2 with three of them accumulating more than 20 points for the second straight game. Among them are Devin Booker (31 points), Mikal Bridges (27) and Chris Paul (23).
When the Milwaukee Bucks contain one player, another steps up for the Phoenix Suns. With this kind of mentality of next man up, the Suns are not going to lift their collective foot off the gas pedal anytime soon.
#2 Milwaukee Bucks played excellent defense in Game 2 but still lost
In Game 2, the Milwaukee Bucks had seven blocks to the Phoenix Suns’ two, and had eight steals to their opponents’ seven. The Bucks also forced the Suns into 13 turnovers compared to just nine from their end.
Moreover, Giannis Antetokounmpo and company had 17 fastbreak points compared to just seven for the Suns, and owned the paint with 54 points while allowing Phoenix to score just 28 (they had 44 in Game 1).
Despite doing all these things right, the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t win the game and tie the series. They did almost everything they had to do, but the Phoenix Suns offense continued to produce at a high rate.
Unless the Bucks have another trick up their sleeve, this series is over in four games.
#3 Milwaukee Bucks have no answer for Phoenix Suns backcourt
The Milwaukee Bucks have had some problems containing some of the best guards in the playoffs. Goran Dragic (16.0 points per game), Kyrie Irving (23.0) and Trae Young (32.7 in three games prior to an ankle injury) have all gotten their way against the Bucks in the playoffs.
Unlike those three players’ teams, the Phoenix Suns have two high-scoring guards who aren’t injured (the Brooklyn Nets didn’t have James Harden, and the Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic was limited by an injury).
In two games, Paul is averaging 27.5 points a game on 56.4 percent shooting from the field and 58.3 percent from 3-point range, while Booker is putting up 29.0 points with 40 percent shooting from downtown.
Despite having three-time All-Defensive Team member Jrue Holiday guarding the perimeter, the Milwaukee Bucks are having difficulty keeping the Phoenix Suns backcourt from doing damage. For a few moments in Game 2, it seemed as if Holiday had Paul’s number, fighting through picks and making it harder for CP3 to get clean looks.
That is, until the second quarter when the 11-time All-Star started heating up and bullying his way to knock down his patented mid-range shots for the Phoenix Suns.
Neither Khris Middleton nor P.J. Tucker have been able to give Devin Booker much difficulty as well. Booker had the hot hand from the start of Game 2 and stayed aggressive all the way to the final period.
Even when the Milwaukee Bucks were able to put bodies in front of the Phoenix Suns guards, the other players would step up and knock down their shots, forcing them to abandon their man and leaving someone wide open for a three.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and his staff can’t seem to find a solution for the Suns’ dynamic duo, and it remains to be seen if they can find an answer, making a Phoenix sweep virtually inevitable.
Also Read: 5 reasons why Milwaukee Bucks lost 108-118 against Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of 2021 NBA Finals
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