NBA Finals: Phoenix Suns struggle to keep up with fast-breaking Milwaukee Bucks
Duane RankinMILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks are literally trying to run the Phoenix Suns out of the NBA Finals.
The third-seeded Bucks are averaging 17.2 transition points in the finals with 21 coming in Saturday’s 123-119 victory in Phoenix to put them up 3-2 heading into Tuesday’s Game 6 at Fiserv Forum.
“It starts with our defense, for sure, being able to get a stop,” Bucks guard Khris Middleton said. “Then we have really three or four guys that can always get a board and take it with us and create problems, whether it's going all the way, finding shooters, just creating havoc. Having playmakers on the court and shooters on the court that can space, it's been key for us.”
The Bucks finished fourth in the regular season in fast-break points at 14.5 a game, are second in the postseason at 14.4, but have revved it up to 17.2 in the finals.
“It's very much how we play,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It's an emphasis for us. We feel like it's one of the times in the game when we're kind of playing to our strengths. We want to do that, including tomorrow night and as much as we can first quarter, fourth quarter. We talk about it. We emphasize it. We feel like it's playing to our strength, and we got to continue to do that.”
NBA Finals' games usually become half-court affairs with long stretches of grind-out basketball, but the Bucks are converting easier opportunities in the open court.
- Game 1 (L) 17 fast-break points
- Game 2 (L) 17 fast-break points
- Game 3 (W) 16 fast-break points
- Game 4 (W) 15 fast-break points
- Game 5 (W) 21 fast-break points
- Totals: (3-2) 86 fast-break points (17.2 a game).
“We watch film for ways we can get better, ways we can space the court better for Giannis (Antetokounmpo), especially in transition for him to get downhill and not see a wall," Middleton said. "Then also when he sees that wall, being able to kick out and we're able to play through that.”
The Suns allowed just 12 fast break points per game in the regular season, 11.9 in the postseason, but haven’t been able to contain Milwaukee’s transition game in this best-of-7 series.
“It’s certainly a point of focus as we go forward, for sure,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Last year, we were No. 1 in (getting back on defense). This year, with the focus on trying to get more possessions from an offensive rebounding component, that probably lends itself to some of that, but when we've watched the film, a lot of it was just communication. We were back, didn't communicate well. They forced the issue.”
Williams recalls Milwaukee getting five transition 3s in the first half of Game 5 when the Bucks erased a 16-point lead to go into halftime up, 64-61.
“So, some it of us, but a lot of it is them,” Williams added.
The Bucks credit their defensive effort leading to transition opportunities with the perfect example coming in Game 5 when Holiday stole the ball from Booker and found Antetokounmpo for a transition dunk to put Milwaukee on top, 122-119, with 13.5 seconds left.
“I think it's just being aggressive defensively without fouling,” Holiday said. “I think those first couple of games, we put a lot of people on the free throw line, but I think getting stops really helps us in transition, and again, we have great floor spacing, a lot of weapons. People who can get to the basket and people who can shoot threes, and when we move the ball in transition, it's pretty tough to guard.”
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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