Suns in 3? Yes, if they go for broke
Suns in three. That’s an official prediction, so mark it down.
Yes, I’m fully aware that it will take four wins to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, but the Phoenix Suns are up 2-0, and this group has a way of breaking opponents so that games are over far before the final buzzer.
Let’s just keep it a buck, Milwaukee doesn’t have much to feel confident about as the series heads back east for two games.
If my prediction is correct (and let’s face it, my predictions are always correct, just ask me!), then Suns fans can plan for the biggest, loudest (and safest) victory parade in sports history next week, a party 53 years in the making.
‘We broke ’em’
The Suns don’t just win games, they frustrate their opponents to the point of rage.
Against the Lakers, LA forward Montrezl Harrell tried to start a fight with Suns guard Cameron Payne, resulting in a tense scrum full of players from both teams.
But the Suns broke the Lakers in Game 6. Well, Devin Booker broke Anthony Davis, anyway.
Davis had been dealing with a groin injury but was trying to play with his team facing elimination.
The Suns went at him from the start with Devin Booker running his defender into screens that forced Davis to switch out on the Phoenix guard.
Davis didn’t stand a chance and when Booker blew past him for a layup, the Lakers All-Star aggravated the injury and had to leave the game.
The Suns broke the Nuggets, too. Well, Cameron Payne broke Nikola Jokic, anyway.
It was the third quarter of Game 3 in the second round of the playoffs. The Suns were threatening to pull away from the Nuggets, who hadn’t had much success in either of the first two games of the series.
Jokic, who had just received the NBA’s regular-season MVP trophy, couldn’t take it anymore and whacked Payne in the face, under the guise of swiping at the ball.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but there was a tense scrum full of players from both teams.
And against the Clippers, Chris Paul had twisted LA guard Patrick Beverly into a knot.
Beverly got so ticked off late in Game 6 that he shoved Paul in the back .
All together now: There was a tense scrum full of players from both teams.
I asked Jae Crowder about that after the game, and he offered this legendary response: “We broke ’em.” Milwaukee is showing cracks.
The prediction here is that the Suns will break this group, too.
'A zero-zero mindset'
The Bucks are desperate. The Suns have a cushion.
It might seem like Phoenix would relax and be at risk of taking a loss, but they’re not thinking that way.
Devin Booker said he and his teammates were planning to treat Game 3 like the series was tied 0-0.
“It’s a zero-zero mindset for us going into Game 3,” Booker said after the 118-108 win in Game 2.
Crowder said the same. “Zero-zero,” he said. “Your mindset has to be zero-zero. Next game. Can’t look too far ahead. Don’t look back. Next game mentality.”
Then Mikal Bridges said it.
“Just got to treat it like it’s Game 1,” Bridges said. “We talk about it in the locker room. Our next game is our most important game. Whether that’s the regular season or the playoffs or the finals. Our next game is our most important game.”
‘A complete team’
Milwaukee can’t prepare for all that Phoenix can do offensively.
The Bucks aren’t that good of a defensive team to begin with, but the Suns can attack the hoop in so many ways that even the Bad Boy Pistons or 2000 Baltimore Ravens might have to spend extra time figuring out which Phoenix ballhandlers to tackle.
In Game 1, Phoenix center Deandre Ayton got the scoring started.
Later, it was Chris Paul making Milwaukee look silly on pick-and-roll possessions.
Devin Booker is a threat to score 30 every time he puts on a uniform.
And “The Talent,” Phoenix’s supporting cast, can get buckets like a janitor.
Phoenix can score in transition, like Game 1, or off ball movement, like Game 2. It’s common for all five starters to score in double figures — and for a reserve or two to hit that mark as well.
All the Bucks realistically can do is man up and hope that the Suns miss shots.
It’s like Crowder said after Game 1 against the Clippers. “We have a complete team.”
'We knew that was coming'
Milwaukee is a big, physical team that likes to score in the paint.
Giannis Antetokounmpo went for 42 in Game 2 with just one 3-pointer.
As a team, the Bucks have just 25 3pointers this series.
By comparison, the Suns hit 20 shots from 3-point range in Game 2 alone. Milwaukee wants to get to the rim. But the Suns are prepared for it. “The first quarter was a storm of aggression from them attacking the paint and offensive rebounding,” Suns coach Monty Williams said after Game 2.
“We talked about it all morning, we studied Game 2 against Atlanta. That was their way to attack Atlanta after a loss, get to the paint. We knew that was coming.”
Prediction
The guess here is that the Suns continue to heat things up in Milwaukee.
The Bucks are going to play with desperation, but that energy only goes so far against a poised opponent that can get whatever shots it wants on offense.
Technically, it can’t be Suns in three. If Phoenix only wins three games, then Milwaukee will have a championship.
But if Phoenix breaks Milwaukee’s spirit in Game 3 on Sunday night, a win in Game 4 on Tuesday would be a formality. Then it would be time to get outside for the biggest, loudest (and safest) victory parade in sports history next week, a party 53 years in the making.