After two games of the NBA Finals, many believed the series was effectively over. The Milwaukee Bucks were down two games to none, and the Phoenix Suns were looking nearly impossible to defeat. But Game 3 went the Bucks’ way, and Game 4 on Wednesday also did as both of their stars stepped up in big ways. Khris Middleton, who had received all sorts of criticism for his lackluster play of late, was the main man for Milwaukee here, scoring 40 points on an evening where he was not going to be denied.
He shot the ball 33 times from the floor, sending a message that he will not shrink to the big moment. Giannis scored 26 as well, and he also picked up 14 rebounds and eight assists for a near triple-double. On the other side of things, the Suns didn’t get a whole lot of production from anyone not named Devin Booker in the 109-103 defeat. He had 42 points, but Jae Crowder (who had 15) was the only other Sun to have more than ten. Chris Paul only had ten in this display, and that was a big indicator as to who was going to win. Game 5 will now swing back to Phoenix as it all starts over at the beginning; only this time it is a three-game series. The next one will be downright pivotal.
