Will the Milwaukee Bucks close out the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the NBA Finals?
The newest NBA champion could be decided Tuesday.
After turning an 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks are one win away from their second title in franchise history and first since 1971.
Standing in their way are the Phoenix Suns, who are reeling after losing three straight games for just the second time since the 2020-21 season began.
History certainly favors the Bucks. The winner of Game 5 with the Finals tied 2-2 has gone on to win the championship 72% of the time, and Milwaukee won the fifth game of the series in dramatic fashion Saturday.
Plus, the Bucks have a chance to close out the series at home in Tuesday's Game 6.
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At the heart of Milwaukee's run is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time league MVP who is staking his claim as the best player in basketball.
"The Greek Freak" is leading all scorers with 32.2 points per game in the Finals to go with 13.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.
The Bucks lost the first two games of the series by a combined 13 points but flipped the switch when the series shifted to Milwaukee. They won Game 3 in a 20-point blowout, won Game 4 by six points and swiped home court from the Suns with a four-point win in Phoenix in Game 5.
Can the Bucks secure the title on their home floor, or will Phoenix extend the series to a Game 7?
Most pundits are in the former camp, including Colin Cowherd, who explained that Milwaukee's physicality has become too much for the lean Suns to handle.
"Phoenix is a small basketball team that looks tired and shot," Cowherd said. "… You go look, right now, at the size of Milwaukee. They are, per player, 2 inches taller and 25 pounds heavier per player on average."
The Bucks boast the 7-foot, 282-pound Brook Lopez, 6-foot-11, 242-pound Antetokounmpo and 6-foot-10, 250-pound Bobby Portis among their big players getting serious minutes.
On the other side, Phoenix's 6-foot-11, 250-pound Deandre Ayton is the only player 6-foot-10 or taller getting much burn, as backup center Dario Saric was injured in Game 1, and Frank Kaminsky has been glued to the bench after posting a minus-12 plus/minus in Game 3.
On "Undisputed," Shannon Sharpe said he sees the series ending Tuesday in Milwaukee, echoing Cowherd's thoughts about the Bucks imposing their will.
To Sharpe's point, the Bucks are averaging 17.2 fast-break points per game, compared to just 9.0 for the Suns.
The rebounding differential helps there, as Milwaukee holds another big advantage. The Bucks are out-rebounding the Suns 45.0 to 39.4 per game and average 13.6 offensive boards per game, compared to 7.2 offensive rebounds per game for the Western Conference champs.
Those are the kinds of numbers that help Nick Wright of "First Things First" feel bullish about the Bucks closing out the series in Game 6.
Marcellus Wiley isn't feeling a Suns comeback, either.
Having to handle business on the road at Fiserv Forum might be a bridge too far for Phoenix, the "Speak For Yourself" cohost said.
"When you go back to Milwaukee, it's going to be magical Milwaukee — in terms of energy," Wiley said. "… It's about to be epic out there, in terms of Milwaukee finally getting their opportunity, hadn't had it since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and those days."
Is anybody out there giving the Suns a shot?
Well, Chris Broussard is still hanging tough, amending his Finals prediction but still allowing for a Phoenix victory in seven games.
"This can be done for several reasons," he explained. "No. 1, the Suns have arguably or one of the best coaches in the league … in Monty Williams. No. 2, Chris Paul — it had to be hard. His whole career has been hard. … Then, Devin Booker. Devin Booker wants to be Kobe [Bryant]? This is a Kobe opportunity."
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Clearly, it's looking like an uphill battle for the Suns.
Even the oddsmakers are pricing Phoenix accordingly, with FOX Bet listing the Suns as five-point underdogs in Game 6 and +320 to win the championship.
It's a must-win for Phoenix and a tantalizing opportunity for the favored Bucks.
Game 6 tips at 9 p.m. ET.
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