NBA Finals nail-biter: Bucks win on the road to take series lead over the Suns

Phoenix, Arizona - The Milwaukee Bucks finally win a road game in this series as they beat the Phoenix Suns in game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Bucks Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led his team with 32 points as Milwaukee took a 3-2 Finals lead over Phoenix on Saturday night
Bucks Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led his team with 32 points as Milwaukee took a 3-2 Finals lead over Phoenix on Saturday night  © IMAGO / Icon SMI

The Bucks pulled out a thrilling victory on Saturday night, winning game 5 123-119 over the Suns to take their first lead in the 2021 NBA Finals.

With the series lead up for grabs, only one team could win, and the Bucks showed up to go toe-to-toe with the Suns from the opening tip.

Giannis Antetounmpo (26) led Milwaukee to victory with a team-high 32 points and nine rebounds, including a monster dunk that sealed the win in the closing seconds.

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NBA Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, and Damian Lillard among NBA All-Star Skills players

The Bucks also got big efforts from upcoming Team USA members Khris Middleton, who dropped 29 points, and Jrue Holiday, with 27 points and 13 assists.

At first, the Bucks seemed slow to keep up with the Suns as Devin Booker stepped forward to start Phoenix’s opening wave of offense, scoring 11 of his game-high 40 points. As a team, they put up 37 first-quarter points, to Milwaukee’s 21.

But the Bucks turned it around in the very next quarter, holding Phoenix to 24, while scoring 43 of their own for a three-point lead going into halftime.

The Bucks can win their first title in 50 years with one more win on their home floor

Milwaukee Bucks fans, like Mike McLain (pictured), gathered inside and outside Fiserv Forum stadium in Milwaukee to watch the away Game 5 on giant screens.
Milwaukee Bucks fans, like Mike McLain (pictured), gathered inside and outside Fiserv Forum stadium in Milwaukee to watch the away Game 5 on giant screens.  © IMAGO / Agencia EFE

The Bucks were able to maintain their lead through the second half with excellent shooting and disciplined play, until the Suns made a push back midway through the fourth.

The last two minutes of the game were the most crucial for Milwaukee, allowing the Suns to come within one point, and nearly giving back the lead.

But with just 20 seconds to go, Holiday single-handedly stopped the Suns’ comeback in its tracks by stealing the ball from Booker and lobbing it up to Giannis for the slam to close out Phoenix.

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Once again, the Bucks have seemed to have the upper hand on the usually high-powered Suns, even this time as Phoenix had all five of their starters scoring in double-figures.

Milwaukee is now riding a three-game winning streak in the Finals and can win their first NBA championship since 1971 with a win on Tuesday night.

The Suns still have a chance to prevail, if they win on Tuesday, and to send the series back home for a seventh and final game for the title. It’s on them to respond, since their backs are now against the wall going on the road, with only one last chance to win and stay alive.

The Bucks can close out the series back at home in Milwaukee, for game 6 on Tuesday night.

Cover photo: IMAGO / Icon SMI

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