Rapid Preview: What to Know Before NBA Finals Game 3

---

10 Key Storylines

1. The series heads back to Milwaukee, a place where the Bucks have played at a significantly higher level throughout the season

2. Chris Paul looked tired at the end of Game 2 after being defended by Jrue Holiday for extended minutes. Keep an eye out for his activity in the later parts of the game

3. Speaking of Holiday, he simply needs to be better on the offensive end. He missed a lot of shots in Game 2

4. Khris Middleton was off for Milwaukee last game. Knowing his career tendencies, he'll most likely be game tonight. Just don't expect it the next game if he does

5. Phoenix's supporting cast has been so much better than Milwaukee's through two games. The famous saying among basketball analysts is "role players play better at home". It's time for Bryn Forbes, PJ Tucker, and Pat Connaughton to put together a cohesive, positive performance for the Bucks tonight

6. It's hard to say this about a coach that took his team to the Finals, but Mike Budenholzer's seat is still warm. At the very least, he needs this game to keep voices outside of the Bucks' organization from loudly calling for his job

7. The famous/infamous "Suns in 4" fan's legacy is at stake tonight. If the Suns pull out this road win, the likelihood of a sweep (and virtual immortality for the fan) increases to at least 50%, in my opinion

8. Phoenix has caught a bit of the injury bug in the past two games. Forward Dario Saric was lost for the season with an ACL tear in Game 1, and versatile defender Torrey Craig left Game 2 after a collision involving his knee (no structural damage, thankfully). The Suns might be missing two big depth pieces in their frontcourt, putting the onus on Deandre Ayton to stay out of foul trouble

9. The NBA Finals ratings for the early games were fairly dismal. Keep an eye out to see if that topic is mentioned during the broadcast or on social media

10. Finally, Giannis Antetokounmpo was so good in Game 2. Let's see if his knee injury is a complete thing of the past

Prediction

Bucks win by around 10. Sorry, Suns fan