3 Reasons why Phoenix Suns could sweep Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals

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#2 Milwaukee Bucks played excellent defense in Game 2 but still lost

Devin Booker #1 shoots against Giannis Antetokounmpo #34.

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).

Jrue Holiday met Booker at the rim 😨(via @Bucks)pic.twitter.com/M9zxtIs7pp

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 9, 2021

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.

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#3 Milwaukee Bucks have no answer for Phoenix Suns backcourt

Jrue Holiday #21 defends against Chris Paul #3.

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.

Chris Paul and Devin Booker (113 combined points this series so far) have surpassed Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson's record for most points by a starting backcourt through 2 games of an NBA Finals over the last 50 seasons.Curry and Thompson had 106 combined in 2018. pic.twitter.com/HNQwnWBvHf

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) July 9, 2021

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.

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