3 major takeaways from Bucks’ Game 3 win over Suns in 2021 NBA Finals

Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, 2021 NBA Finals
NBA Analysis Network

The Phoenix Suns took care of business on their home court in Games 1 and 2 of the 2021 NBA Finals and entering Game 3, the Milwaukee Bucks faced a “must-win” scenario. Going down 3-0 in The Finals is almost a death sentence, which is why the Bucks could not afford to lose this game. 

Not only did Giannis Antetokounmpo have to have another big game, but the Bucks would have to get production from others on the offensive-end of the court in order to keep themselves alive. Defensively, Milwaukee has actually played quite well, but adjustments needed to be made entering Game 3. 

Well, the Bucks certainly made those adjustments for once as they beat the Suns 120-100 in Game 3, a game that was practically over after the third quarter. Not only did Giannis Antetokounmpo have another good game, but he had another stellar performance and was able to help the Bucks win their first NBA Finals game since May 10, 1974, the longest gap between wins in the NBA Finals all-time. 

In this game, Giannis scored 41 points on 14-23 shooting and also had 13 rebounds, 6 assists. The best part about the Greek Freek’s statline though was that he went 13-17 from the free-throw line, actually hitting his free-throws and staying aggressive on offense. 

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This was Antetokounmpo’s second consecutive 40+ point, 10+ rebound game in the NBA Finals, putting him on a list with just Shaquille O’Neal as the only other players in NBA Finals history to have back-to-back 40+ point, 10+ rebound games, according to StatMuse. Giannis also had at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists through three quarters in Game 3, putting him on a list with Michael Jordan (1997), LeBron James (2016) and Kevin Durant (2018) as the only players in NBA Finals history to achieve such a stat line through three quarters. 

The 2x MVP has now scored 103 points through his first 3 NBA Finals games, putting him only behind Rick Barry (122), Allen Iverson (106) and Willis Reed (104) for the most points in first three career Finals games. Giannis’ hyperextended left knee seems like a thing of the past now, which is good news for Milwaukee and their chances of possibly winning a championship. 

However, winning Game 3 does not necessarily mean the Bucks are right back in this series. They took care of business like they needed to Sunday night, but the job is far from over. Game 4 is now a “must-win” game once again for the Bucks and if they lose this game, they will be heading back to the desert down 3-1 in this series. 

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The saying in the NBA playoffs is that “a series never really begins until a team loses at home,” and so far, the road team in this series has yet to put up a fight. Will things change in Game 4 and will the Suns make the necessary adjustments to pull within one game of their first title or will the Bucks hold things down on their home court once again to even up this series? 

Milwaukee’s backs are still against the wall and while they should definitely celebrate their victory, they still have a long journey ahead if they are to be crowned champions. Game 4 is going to likely be a deciding factor in this series on Wednesday night, but before this game occurs, let’s look back at the three biggest takeaways from Game 3 and what the Bucks learned about themselves in this series during this win. 

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