NBA Finals: Top moments from Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns Game 2
The Phoenix Suns are proving there is safety in numbers.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had a monster performance in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, scoring 42 points. But his franchise-record scoring output for a Finals game – which bested Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 37-point outing in Game 5 of the 1974 Finals – simply wasn't enough against the deep and versatile Suns.
In the end, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges stole the show, combining for 81 points as Phoenix won 118-108 to take a 2-0 lead in the series. They are now two wins away from their first championship in franchise history.
Here are the top moments from Game 2.
Antetokounmpo's aggressiveness waned in the second half of Game 1.
So, naturally, he was full steam ahead on the first possession of the game, cruising as a one-man fast break for a transition dunk, as well as an early putback dunk.
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The Bucks had an assault on the rim early in the game, with 22 of their first 25 shot attempts coming inside the 3-point line.
The Suns, on the other hand, made eight of their first 14 shots from deep, including two each from Booker, Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges.
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That hot shooting kept the Suns within striking distance at the end of the first quarter, with the Bucks leading 29-26.
The Bucks continued to have the momentum to start the second quarter, with Khris Middleton hooking up with Brook Lopez on a lob to continue their dominance in the paint.
But Game 2 was a repeat of Game 1 for Paul, who started off quietly in the first quarter but started to assert himself in the second quarter.
His assertiveness allowed the Suns to regain the lead midway through the quarter.
And the 3-point shooting continued to permeate through the entire Suns' roster, with Cameron Johnson getting in on the action.
By halftime, the Suns were able to turn what was once a nine-point deficit into an 11 point lead.
Four different Suns' made at least two 3-pointers and the team shot 45.8% from deep in the first half.
Mikal Bridges was Phoenix's star, leading the way with 13 points.
After seeing the Suns' lead swell to as much as 15 in the third quarter, the Bucks began to make their comeback push.
And it was on the back of their MVP Antetokounmpo, who at one point scored 13 straight points for the Bucks in the third quarter to cut the Suns' lead down to single digits.
Antetokounmpo remained extremely aggressive in the third, scored 20 points in the period. That was the most points for any player in a single quarter of the Finals since a certain legend …
A great block by Giannis, followed by a Lopez layup, pulled Milwaukee within 5.
But Booker responded as Phoenix pushed their lead back to double-digits with his sixth and seventh 3-pointers of the game.
The Suns coasted from there, winning 118-108. Booker led the way with 31 points, though Bridges also had a huge game with 27 points.
Antetokounmpo had 42 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort.
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