DOWN 0-2 in the NBA finals, the Milwaukee Bucks see no other path to victory in Game 3 on Sunday night (Monday in Manila) other than coming out swinging.
Behind Devin Booker and Chris Paul, the Suns took the opening games in Phoenix. Now, the Bucks are set up to even the series with Game 3 and Wednesday night’s (Thursday in Manila) Game 4 in Milwaukee.
“It’s going to be tough,” Bucks forward Khris Middleton said. “They took care of their home court. We have to find a way to do the same. It starts with the first one at them, though.
We’ve got to come out, be prepared and be ready for a dogfight. We have been in this hole before. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ve got to find a way to do it.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo put concerns about his hyperextended left knee in the rearview mirror by totaling 62 points in the first games, including 42 in the Bucks’ 118-108 loss in Game 2. But the Suns found more ways to score, including a timely performance from forward Mikal Bridges.
“We’ve been here before. We know what the deal is,” Antetokounmpo said. “Just got to be aggressive, keep enjoying playing together, keep enjoying playing basketball. And hopefully our good habits from throughout the year can take over and we can put ourselves in a position to win the game. But we know what the deal is.”
The deal is: win Sunday night or face a 3-0 deficit and the arduous task of beating the Suns in four consecutive games.
Milwaukee was down 0-2 to the Brooklyn Nets when the Bucks came home and found good fortune– and better defensive play– to eventually fight all the way back and win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Paul, playing in his first finals at age 36, said his job is to inform his relatively newbie roster that there is a lot of work left for the Suns.
