NBA Finals Game 2 Post-Game Report: White-Hot Suns Hold Home Court

Game Summary

The Bucks came out hammering the Suns in the paint in the first quarter, and it looked like Jrue Holiday might be game for the legacy-making impact I called for him to make in my pre-game predictions article. The Suns were able to hang close with Milwaukee via hot shooting from a number of players including Jae Crowder, who decided to provide actual offense in this game (he's one of my favorite hot/cold players in the league). Then the rest of the game happened. It was by no means a blowout, but the Suns seized control during a putrid middle two quarters from everyone on the Bucks besides Giannis and the comedy that is Pat Connaughton. The Suns' shooting didn't cool significantly, and their ability to corral impact offensive rebounds and find the open man when they happened to miss was a sight to behold.

Ultimately, though the Bucks did put up a fight in different parts of the second half, Devin Booker (31 pts.) and company came up with clutch play after play to secure a 118-108 win. I would be remiss if I did not take time to acknowledge the gargantuan efforts from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who posted 42 points and 12 rebounds on 15/22 shooting in conjunction with several massive blocks. He deserves a better effort than he got from his teammates.

What I Got Right In My Preview

I was right to suggest that Giannis would be back to vintage form, and he certainly surpassed even that expectation. His 20 points in the third quarter is the most any player has scored in a quarter of a finals game since Michael Jordan scored 22 in the 1993 Finals against, interestingly enough, the Phoenix Suns. Jrue Holiday truly was the X-factor for his team tonight, but not in a good way. I called for him to step up his offensive game as I figured (correctly) that Khris Middleton would regress in Game 2. Holiday's defense was sensational, but 33-percent shooting isn't going to carry what was an equally anemic Bucks supporting cast to a Finals victory.

Devin Booker showed out, though his overall efficiency isn't quite what you'd want to see if he was operating at his peak levels. Still, 31 points with no free throw attempts is an impact game in my book. Chris Paul was slowed considerably by Jrue Holiday, though he still managed 23 points. Keep an eye on his energy levels throughout the rest of the series. He really seemed to be wearing down as Game 2 went on, and if the Bucks deploy Holiday to guard him even more, it could lead to a more absent/inefficient CP3 down the line.

What I Got Wrong

Cam Payne did basically nothing and the Suns looked just fine. The clear X-factor performance came from Mikal Bridges last night (27 pts.), but numerous other players (Crowder, Cam Johnson) chipped in to keep the machine rolling in Phoenix.

Jrue Holiday was just as abysmal on the offensive end, albeit shooting a much higher volume of shots. I suggested he was due for a big game, but he clearly was not up to the task. Neither were the Bucks, who I picked to win the game.

Stock Check

Stock Up: Mikal Bridges

Bridges provided a wide variety of drives, spot-ups, and pull-up jumpers on his way to an efficient 27 points while playing tremendous defense on Khris Middleton. While often characterized as a "3 and D" player, Bridges continues to show that his ceiling is much higher on the offensive end than a mere role player.

Stock Down: Jrue Holiday

I don't want to seem like I'm isolating Jrue Holiday as the root of all evil or something, but he simply has not been up to the task in these first two Finals games. For a guy the Bucks traded the farm and the farmer's family for, he needs to be better. He had the opportunity to elevate his standing in the league to the exceedingly rare two-way nightmare guard matchup, but he's playing like an over-qualified fourth or fifth option on a good-not-great team right now. His defense is always there, but at the end of the day, he's being paid to perform like an all-star. He hasn't been close to that.

Stock Up: Giannis Antetokounmpo

For a guy coming off a scary injury, he hasn't missed much of a beat at all. He's playing like one of the five best players in the world, and he can be downright frightening to watch on both ends when he's right. It's won't be Giannis' fault if this team flames out early in the Finals, and the rest of the league should recognize that.

Stock Down: PJ Tucker

In all honesty, it's probably the Bucks' front office to blame here for forcing Tucker into as big of a role as he currently occupies. There's just so little depth on this team behind their starting five. Tucker, though, is a gaping hole on an already offensively-challenged team, and his defense isn't useful against the types of players the Suns run their offense through. His corner threes only add so much value, and the Bucks should probably cut his minutes back going forward in the series.

Series Outlook

The series heads to Milwaukee for Games 3 and 4. Despite being down 2-0, the Bucks are positioned fairly well to make the series at least somewhat interesting. They ALWAYS play better at home, and maybe the Suns' shooting cools off in a more foreign arena. I would expect the Bucks to win Game 3 or else the series is over. Right now, my prediction is that the Suns win the series, but we'll need to see the Bucks at home to truly gauge if they're capable of extending and competing in the series. Some good news for the Suns is that Booker still hasn't really exploded yet (in my opinion), and their depth allows them to absorb off nights from different players. The bad news is that I feel the Bucks have multiple levels to ascend as a team, where I don't see that with Phoenix. However, the Bucks are still coached by Mike Budenholzer, so...

skkyjaker@yahoo.com