Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker did not mix up his words following a 120-107 Game 2 loss to the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it cost him a $35,000 fine.

Booker called out official James Williams in his postgame press conference, saying that he was “terrible.”

The five-time All-Star picked up a bizarre technical in the third quarter of game two that clearly ticked off Booker enough for him to rip into the officiating. He even compared the NBA to pro wrestling during his press conference.

“In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James [Williams] was terrible tonight through and through,” Booker said.

“It’s bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as a WWE if they’re not held responsible.”

Booker wasn’t the only Suns player to call out the officiating, as Suns forward Dillon Brooks had similar gripes about how the game is being officiated.

“When I used to watch this back when Michael Jordan was playing, or whoever else, when LeBron [James] was younger, it was physical basketball,” Brooks said.

“I don’t get why all the falling, the flopping and flailing and all this stuff is allowed when we get to the playoffs. Leave that for the [regular] season, for the fans. This is about who is the better team, who is the [smarter] team. Don’t decide the games on free throws.”

Brooks went in on his Canadian national team teammate and reigning league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, calling him “frail” and this is a “man’s” game.

The Suns will welcome the Thunder for games three and four in hopes of evening the series and heading back to Oklahoma City.

Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker agreed to a two-year, $145 million maximum contract extension with the franchise through the 2029-30 season, the highest annual extension salary in NBA history, CAA’s Jessica Holtz and Melvin Booker told ESPN on Wednesday.

Booker and Suns owner Matt Ishbia met Wednesday night in Las Vegas to finalize the contract, which cements the franchise’s leader of the organization moving forward and his commitment to the Suns’ vision for the future.

Booker’s annual extension salary ($72.5 million) surpassed Oklahoma City Thunder NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s $285 million supermax extension, carrying a $71.25 million average annual value for the richest ever, and he will now have a total of five years and $316 million on his Suns contract.

Booker, the No. 13 pick by the Suns in the 2015 NBA draft, has played all 10 NBA seasons with the Suns and he now lands his third contract extension to reestablish his long-term future with the franchise. He has publicly and privately expressed the desire to play out his career in Phoenix and bring a championship to the Suns.

The 28-year-old Booker had involvement late in the Suns’ head coaching search, meeting with prospective finalists and stamping the hiring of Jordan Ott.

The four-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection and two-time Olympic gold medalist for Team USA became the Suns’ franchise career leader in points scored last season.

Booker has averaged at least 25 points in each of the past seven seasons, joining Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only NBA player to do so, according to ESPN Research. He has continued to grow his offensive game, averaging a career-high 7.1 assists last season while scoring 25.6 points and grabbing 4.1 rebounds.

Booker led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021 before losing to the Bucks in six games, and to the semifinals the following season. But the Suns had a disappointing 36-46 record last season and finished in 11th place in the Western Conference with the highest payroll in NBA history, leading to roster changes that included the blockbuster trade that sent 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.

Jalen Brunson went exactly one month without playing due to an ankle injury. He looked like it on Sunday night.

The New York Knicks beat the Phoenix Suns 112-98, fueled by 32 points from OG Anunoby. More importantly, Brunson returned to the Knicks lineup for the first time since March 6.

In 34 minutes, Brunson finished 3-9 with 15 points and 6 assists. He finished 3-9 from the field. Brunson didn’t have much to say about his performance.

“Could be better, could be worse,” Brunson told reporters. “A lot of room for improvement on my end.”

Despite a rusty performance, Brunson still showed up when it mattered, scoring six of his 15 in the last two minutes. He hit his only three of the game at the 1:45 mark of the fourth quarter when the teams were only separated by seven points.

Regardless, Knicks fans are just happy to see their star back in the lineup.

For the Phoenix Suns, this loss marks their sixth in a row. The Suns are barely alive for the play-in race, and need to win out and receive some help to stay alive.

Devin Booker finished with 40 points. Over the past three games, Booker has averaged just under 39 points per game.

With the win, the Knicks moved to 50-28. As long as they don’t lose out, they will be a three seed in the Eastern Conference. If the standings hold, they will play the Detroit Pistons in the first round.

The Phoenix Suns have categorically denied rumors that they are trading star Kevin Durant, with several members of the organization issuing clarifying statements this week. With fans turning their attention back to the NBA for the 2024 draft, Phoenix has established a united front.

Suns General Manager James Jones was the most recent front office member to address the Durant rumors, telling reporters after the first round Wednesday that the team has never considered a trade.

“It’s the question, it’s the topic of discussion, it’s the stuff that gets clicks that everyone wants to talk about,” Jones said. “But I think I said it specifically back on May 19 when I was asked are we trading Kevin Durant. I said ‘no’ then, I’ll say ‘no’ now.”

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, Suns owner Mat Ishbia took to social media to convey the same message.

“NBA Draft night is the best. Everyone talking about the drama and storylines, some are right and some are just wrong,” Ishbia said. “My turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it. Gotta love draft night! Go Suns.”

Phoenix is coming off back-to-back seasons in which the team has underperformed despite immense star power. Durant, along with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, have combined to form one of the best trios in the NBA, but the Suns have not advanced past the conference semifinals since Durant’s arrival during the 2023 season.

In an effort to surround Booker with proven talent in recent years, the Suns have had to deal away several key role players like veteran Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.

Breaking up the roster that advanced to the 2021 NBA Finals seemed risky but worthwhile at one point, but the team has already begun to backtrack. With a massive salary cap problem on the horizon, Phoenix had to deal away star big man Deandre Ayton last summer for spare parts just to fill out the roster.

Despite not attaining the level of success they might have anticipated in the past two seasons, the Suns are not yet willing to scrap everything. Durant still has two years remaining on his contract, and based on the statements from Jones and Ishbia, the front office still firmly believes in his ability to deliver a championship.

With their first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Wednesday, the Suns picked Dayton Flyers star DaRon Holmes III. They forfeited their second-round pick because of a tampering violation.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was visibly frustrated Wednesday night after a Phoenix Suns fan repeatedly heckled him from the stands. Doncic complained throughout the game and eventually asked Mavericks vice president of security Brian Kinzig to have the fan removed. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 132-109 on the road.

Though the full extent of the Suns fan’s comments toward Doncic is unknown, he reportedly yelled that Doncic looked tired and should go back to the gym. The Mavericks point guard claims that the heckling was incessant until the fan was escorted out of the stands without incident during the second half.

“He was cursing me the whole first half, too,” Doncic said after the game. When asked why he didn’t ask for the fan to be ejected sooner, he replied, “Because I never would eject a fan. They paid for tickets, but I had enough. It’s a little bit of frustration.”

Doncic, who scored 34 points with eight rebounds and nine assists Wednesday, apparently took out his frustration on referees as well. In the second quarter, he received his eighth technical foul of the season for yelling at officials. In a post-game interview with a pool reporter, crew chief David Guthrie was dismissive of Doncic’s grievances.

“He had complained multiple times and was asked to stop prior to that,” Guthrie said. “He did not stop but continued his complaining, and again as he was leaving the floor at halftime he yelled and complained at the officials again.”

With a 24-20 record, the Mavericks are currently in eighth place in the Western Conference. Doncic and Kyrie Irving have worked well enough to get the team into playoff contention, but rivals like Phoenix continue to limit the team.

Dallas earned a 16-point lead early in the second half Wednesday but saw it melt away as the Suns dominated the rest of the game. Suns point guard Devin Booker, whose jersey was being worn by the heckling fan, scored 46 points in the contest. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said that his players have been distracted by referees and other factors in recent games and singled out Doncic in talks with reporters.

“We’ll talk to him about it,” Kidd said. “He’s a competitor. He likes to have discussions with the referees, but he has to be better. And as a group, we have to be better.”

The Phoenix Suns finished with a win against the Golden State Warriors 119-116.

Devin Booker led the scoring with 32 points, followed by Jusuf Nurkic with 17 points and Bradley Beal with 16. However, their efforts were almost blown when the Suns nearly gave up a nine-point lead in the final minutes. 

“Yeah, we’ve got to stop doing that,” Coach Frank Vogel said. “It’s getting old. That being said, we enjoy wins. That’s a good win.”

The game saw Draymond Green get ejected in the third quarter for a flagrant two foul against Jusuf Nurkic. This comes after he was suspended for five games last month following a foul to Rudy Gobert.

The result sees the Suns move up to 13-11 and tenth overall in the Western Conference standings, while the Warriors go to 10-13 and are just below at 11th, just outside the play-in tournament. 

The Phoenix Suns are concerned that Kevin Durant’s ankle injury, which he suffered in Phoenix Wednesday during warmups, could force him to miss the remainder of the regular season. Durant wore a walking boot as he exited the Footprint Center after the Suns’ 132-101 victory against the Thunder.

Durant suffered the injury during a routine warmup session before the game, rolling his ankle while attempting a layup. Though he managed to stand up on his own power and even went on to finish his pre-game work, he was eventually taken back to the locker room for treatment. He was later ruled out of the game, which would have been his home debut for Phoenix.

According to the Arizona Republic, there are now concerns within the organization that Durant’s ankle injury is a Grade 2 sprain, which could take four to six weeks to heal. If this diagnosis is confirmed, his recovery timeline would line up almost exactly with the end of the NBA regular season on Apr. 9. Durant could also miss the start of the playoffs if the sprain persists, as the first round begins on Apr. 15.

The timing of Durant’s setback could not be worse for the Suns, who acquired the superstar from the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 9. Phoenix gave up promising contributors Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson to get Durant, sacrificing depth in order to bolster a starting five that already included Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.

With a 37-29 record this season, the Suns are currently fourth in the Western Conference and have a very comfortable path to the postseason. Nevertheless, the team’s championship hopes could suffer if Durant has to take an extended absence. His return in the playoffs may not provide enough time for the team to properly prepare for the better opponents in its conference.

In three games with the Suns, Durant led his new team to three victories, including a 130-126 win over the Dallas Mavericks in which he scored 37 points. His return on Mar. 1 came after a month-long absence to recover from a knee injury he suffered while playing for Brooklyn.

In the blink of an eye in 2020, the Phoenix Suns seemingly went from a Western Conference bottom feeder to a bona fide contender at the highest level of the NBA. When Chris Paul joined a team that already had budding stars Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton on the roster, Phoenix became a force overnight.

But in two straight postseasons, the team has fallen just short of the summit. In 2021, the Suns’ magical run through the Western Conference was finally stopped by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, who handled them in a six-game Finals series. The following season, the team’s run ended earlier despite a better regular season thanks to an other-worldly performance from Luka Doncic in the conference semifinals.

There’s potential for a dynasty in Phoenix, but steps to that end have been uneven to this point. But early Thursday morning, the team entered an emphatic new phase in its ongoing coup. There’s no going back now.

To repeat the news everyone’s already read, the Suns acquired superstar Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren from the Brooklyn Nets Thursday morning in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Thomas, four first-round draft picks and a 2028 pick swap. It’s a textbook win-now move, as the team essentially relinquished its future for a shot at the title.

Durant’s talents are well-recorded, as are his tendencies to land in promising organizations pursuing a championship. His time on the Warriors was better spent than the seasons he gave to the failed experiment in Brooklyn. Still, his lack of championship success as an individual feels more circumstantial than anything. He remains one of the most dominant players in the NBA, and he’s worth what the Suns paid to acquire him.

Durant will join Booker, Paul and Ayton to create a seemingly unstoppable starting four, to the extent that Phoenix will almost certainly become the new favorite within the conference, if not the league in time. The team was already a contender with a 30-26 record this season, and Durant is now expected to elevate the team even higher.

It’s easy to get caught up in the allure of the Durant acquisition and much more difficult to face the consequences of the trade. Phoenix did relinquish a significant part of its team in order to get its superstar. Crowder would have been a greater loss several months ago before it became clear that the forward was waiting for a trade. But Bridges was a beloved member of the roster, having been on the team since 2018 while providing consistent numbers throughout his career. In gaining Durant, the team also loses some semblance of depth while risking negative impacts on morale.

In a very short time, it will become apparent if the Suns’ trade for Durant resulted in short-term success for the organization. One can imagine that anything short of a championship this season would now be considered a failure, as it’s abundantly clear that the team is tired of falling short. If anything, Phoenix can no longer be accused of taking half-measures.

Propelled by a stellar 51-point performance from Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns breezed past the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night in a 132-113 victory. Booker received MVP chants throughout the night as Phoenix improved to 15-6 to take sole control of the top spot in the Western Conference.

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Booker’s massive scoring night was as much a result of efficiency as volume, as the guard, made 20 of 25 field goal attempts and six of seven shots from three-point range. Along with fellow star Deandre Ayton, who scored 30 and earned 14 rebounds, Booker was the only on the floor for 31 minutes due to the lopsided nature of the game.

After taking a seven-point lead in the first quarter, Phoenix outscored Chicago 32-18 in the second to pull ahead 64-43 at the half. A 29-point night for Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan was not nearly enough as both teams played evenly in the second half to ensure a blowout.

Playing without Chris Paul, who has been out since early November with a heel injury, the Suns have had to depend more on Booker and Ayton in recent weeks and both players have delivered. Booker has been incredibly effective, with 28.9 points per night in the past month despite a slow start.

Fans in Phoenix have been appreciative of the guard’s talents for years, but MVP chants have surged again with the star’s latest hot streak. During the 2021-22 season, there was similar clamoring for Booker to receive the award and he went on to finish fourth in voting behind eventual winner Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antentokounpo.

Even without Paul, the Suns have now won six straight games thanks chiefly to their two healthy star contributors. A perennial championship frontrunner for several years now, the team seems to be on a similar trajectory through the first 21 games of the 2022-23 season and next plays Friday night against the 5-16 Houston Rockets.

Toward the end of a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns Tuesday night, Lakers guard Patrick Beverley was ejected for shoving Suns center Deandre Ayton to the floor for standing over teammate Austin Reaves. Beverley stood by his actions after the game, claiming that Ayton had fouled Reaves hard and was taunting afterwards.

“Got a person on the ground, two people looking over mean-mugging and puffing their chest out and referees don’t get into it to kind of separate it, control the game, so I’m going to stand up for my teammate,” Beverley said after the game.

In a game the Lakers would go on to lose 115-105, Beverley’s shove to protect his teammate had a minimal impact on the result, as Suns stars Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges led their team in scoring with 25 points. Despite a 37-point showing for Lakers forward Anthony Davis, Los Angeles struggled to produce around him, eventually losing momentum early in the second half and never recovering.

Beverley was the center of attention in post-game interviews on both sides. Booker was similarly quick to defend Ayton while calling out Beverley for cowardice.

“Pat need to stop pushing people in the back man. Push them in the chest,” Booker said.

The Lakers have struggled thus far in a make-or-break season for the team, going 5-11 with the services of Davis, LeBron James, Beverley and Russell Westbrook. Beverley never cited ongoing frustrations for his altercation Tuesday night, however, and went on to stress his care for his teammates.

“Obviously, it’s unfortunate that it happened on national TV,” Beverley said. “But you know me. Regardless of what’s going on, I’m a big fan of protecting my teammates. … I’m a foxhole guy. I put on the jersey, and I commit to a team, I commit to a city, and it’s kind of my motto. I’m a foxhole guy.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, it does not appear that Beverley will have to face further disciplinary action for the incident. The Lakers’ next game is on the road against the Spurs on Friday.

Party like it’s 80 million years ago: the Raptors are going to the playoffs!

Devin Booker is probably happy.

A 118-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night clinched the postseason for Toronto, which got 31 points and 13 rebounds from Pascal Siakam and 19 points and 14 rebounds from Scottie Barnes.

Chris Boucher scored 18 points, Gary Trent Jr. 14, and Fred VanVleet 12 in the win.

Trae Young had 26 points and 15 assists in defeat, while the Hawks lost for the first time in six tries and can now finish no higher than seventh in the conference. Teams finishing in 7-10 in each conference must partake in the play-in tournament.

“Obviously we wish we were higher in the standings but we’re not,” Young said. “We are where we are. We’ve got to take care of business with what’s ahead of us.”

Toronto (46-33) has now won 12 of its last 16 games and has clinched at worst the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They’ll next host the 76ers on Thursday, then the Rockets on Friday before closing out the season on Sunday at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks.

“We did what we set out to do in the regular season,” VanVleet said. “Now it’s time to go see what we can do.”

“They found a way to grind out enough wins to get them in this situation,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “I don’t think they were picked to be here, so that’s always a good accomplishment.”

The Hawks next host Washington on Wednesday before finishing the season with games at Miami and Houston. The team is 15-24 on the road this season—fewer road wins than any postseason contender in either conference.

Add Devin Booker to the list of NBA players who are fed up and not taking any more guff from hecklers.

During Wednesday’s Suns-Timberwolves game, Booker was dribbling up court and replied to a knucklehead with, “Shut up, p—-.”

Booker, who ended with 28 points on the night in Phoenix’ 125-116 win, is the most recent victim of fan abuse. The Lakers’ (for now) Russell Westbrook last week was irate when a fan called him “Westbrick,” and made a thing out of it.

Most recently, Portland’s injured bug man Jusuf Nurkic dealt with a hater in his own way—by grabbing the heckler’s phone and tossing it. Rumor has it that the heckler insulted Nurkic’s dead grandmother.

Devin Booker —”homies” with a dinosaur— finished with 28 points, Chris Paul 20 and 11 assists, as the Phoenix Suns rallied to beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-101 Thursday.

Phoenix (35-9) swept its season-long, five-game road trip to win its ninth straight against the Mavericks thanks in large part to outscoring them 35-19 in the fourth frame, during which Paul tallied 10 of his points.

“Chris knows when to go,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “He showed that again in the fourth quarter.”

Luka Doncic scored 28 points, Jalen Brunson 19, and Kristaps Porzingis 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavs (26-20), who had won four straight games and 10 of 11.

“That’s a team that’s been running through the league here of late,” Suns coach Monty Williams. “To beat them on their home floor like that is huge.”

Phoenix found itself leading 101-99 with 2:56 remaining, when Bismack Biyombo — playing in just his seventh game since joining the Suns —followed a free throw with a dunk to make it a five-point affair. Paul’s three-pointer with 19 ticks left was the clincher, putting the Suns ahead 107-99.

Doncic, who now has at least 20 points in nine straight games, went to the bench in the fourth after hurting his neck on a hard fall.

“My neck’s not an excuse,” said Doncic, who had eight turnovers and said he may have tired in the fourth. “But man, they’re the best record in the league. We were right there.”

The Suns won despite shooting a season-worst 22.2% (8-for-36) from beyond the arc, though they did outscore Dallas 31-7 off turnovers. They’ll host Indiana on Saturday.

The Mavs had won six consecutive home games. They’re at home on Sunday against Memphis.

Rivalries in sports are nothing new. Usually, though, it’s between two human beings—whereas Devin Booker’s is with a species that went extinct about 75 million years ago.

Facing the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night, the Phoenix Suns star found himself squaring off with his opponent’s mascot—a person in a raptor outfit.

With 6.5 seconds left in the game, Booker was fouled and went up to shoot his free throws. Scotiabank Arena does not permit fans these days, but the home team still had a trick up its sleeve. The dinosaur mascot went behind the basket to distract him.

The shot ended with a little drama, as a visibly upset Booker asked the officials to move the mascot, which they did.

He proceeded to hit both free throws to seal the 99-95 win.

“We hashed it out. We homies now. We’re cool now, though,” Booker joked after the game.

The next meeting between the two teams is March 11 in Phoenix.

Kevin Durant and Jrue Holiday are often on opposing sides during NBA games, but against team Australia, they joined forces to lead a come-from-behind victory. The 97-78 win puts Team USA in the gold medal game, where the team has the opportunity to win its fourth straight Olympic final.

“They came out and hit us with a nice haymaker, and we were able to get back up and get that lead back,” Durant said of the team’s efforts.

Australia did, in fact, come out swinging. The Australian squad – led by wily NBA player Patty Mills – secured a 15-point first lead half.

Durant then popped off, collecting 23 points in the victory. He helped spur an 8-0 run that cut the Australian lead to just three points going into the final two quarters of play. Holiday also made a sizable contribution, putting up 11 points.

“When you are a great team and you’re playing a team who feels that it’s going to be tough to beat us, they’re going to come out and play their best brand of basketball. They’re going to play perfect basketball, and I felt like that’s what they did in that first half, and once we went down three going into halftime, I felt like we had the game in hand,” Durant noted.

The confidence in Durant and Holiday helped inspire others on the team; Devin Booker 20 points in the game. “He’s been a great leader for us, and we feed off his energy,” Booker said of Durant.

To win gold, the U.S. will need to defeat France, which handed the American squad an 83-76 loss in the opening game of the Tokyo Olympics.

Following a loss to France on Sunday, the U.S. Men’s basketball team found its form Wednesday afternoon during a 120-66 rout against Iran.

It was the first win of the Olympics for the men’s basketball team. The victory was only possible after head coach Gregg Popovich made some serious adjustments to the game plan and rotation following Sunday’s loss to France. First and foremost, Popovich changed the starting lineup. He inserted Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker. Both players came off the bench against France after traveling to Japan late following the NBA Finals.

The improved lineup brought balance to the team and paid off as the team produced 19 fast-break points in the first half alone. In addition, Damian Lillard, who surprisingly struggled with his shot against France, exploded for 21 points, all of which came from seven three-pointers. Team USA improved their three-point shooting drastically after only converting 10-of-32 shots from beyond the arc against France. Against Iran, they shot 48.7 percent from the three-point line. Booker scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds, Jayson Tatum had 14 points and Zach LaVine tallied 13 points. It was a well-rounded effort.

“Being in the hotel, at meals, and on the practice court and just talking after that loss, we came together,” Lillard said. “It’s time to start looking like Team USA.”

“Each of these guys scores 20 or 25 points for their teams; we can’t play like that, and so we don’t,” Popovich said of the team. “Everybody in a sense is a role player now; we don’t need heroes.”

The United States will face the Czech Republic on Saturday. A win over the Czechs will clinch a berth into the medal round next week.

The Bucks trailed in the beginning minutes of the fourth quarter, their team on the verge of an effectively insurmountable 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. Then, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo took over the game, leading Milwaukee to an essential Game 4 victory by a final score of 109-103. With the win, Milwaukee and Phoenix have split the first four games at two apiece.

Middleton registered 40 points on the night, hitting a bevy of shots from nearly all areas of the court. “Everybody’s banged up. You just have to give it your all and leave it all on the court,” Middleton noted after the game. Antetokounmpo had 26 points, as well as a host of eye-popping defensive plays – including one that arguably sealed the victory for Milwaukee against Deandre Ayton with just over one minute to play in the game. “Going down the stretch, just do whatever it takes to win the game. Just put yourself in a position that can win the game,” Antetokounmpo said of his defensive heroics.

“They have been through the most together. They have endured the most. They have been criticized for everything they have done here, and they have also got the glory … But they know the pressures that comes with that, and they have exceeded all those expectations. For them to be able to perform on each stage, and especially a stage like this, is awesome to see, and I’m blessed to be a part of it,” Bucks guard Jrue Holiday said of the Middleton-Antetokounmpo tandem. The two have played in 12 playoff series together, including 62 games suiting up in the same uniform in the postseason.

“We played so many games together. But there was a specific time, I think it was in the playoffs against Toronto. We played at home. He wasn’t feeling great. But he played the game, and he gave everything for the team and for us. You know, that’s when I realized, ‘Yeah, that’s the guy I want to be on the line with and go through the journey with,” Antetokounmpo said of his relationship with Middleton.

The Bucks were almost unable to overcome the incredible offensive showing put on by Devin Booker, who was nearly automatic both from mid-range and beyond the arc. Foul trouble for Booker would be difficult for him to overcome late in the game, though, and the star arguably should have fouled out multiple times in the fourth quarter.

“Closing a game like this in the NBA Finals, obviously it means a lot. It felt good. But we cannot be satisfied,” Antetokounmpo mentioned about the critical game.

Game 5 will be in Phoenix on Saturday night.

The Bucks still have work to do if they hope to win the 2021 NBA Finals, but they took care of a critical first step: cutting Phoenix’s 2-0 lead in half. Milwaukee topped the Suns 120-100 in Game 3.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 41 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. This effort gave Milwaukee its first win of the series, a happy sight for fans in attendance for the first NBA Finals game in the city since 1974. Jrue Holiday chipped in 21 points.

The win stunts the momentum of Phoenix, who sought to jump out to an essentially unbeatable 3-0 series lead. “I said it after last game. This team’s not going to give in. They’re going to keep playing all the way through … So we have to bring that same effort that we had in the first two games and I think we’ll be in good shape” said Suns guard Devin Booker. Booker disappointed in this matchup, shooting just 3 for 14.

The Suns never felt all that threatening in the game. The Bucks went into halftime up 15 points (60-45), and then after a short burst by Phoenix late in the third quarter, Milwaukee quickly seized control once more and extended their lead to 22 points (98-76).

Game 4 will be in Milwaukee before the series heads back to Phoenix. It is seemingly another must-win tilt for the Bucks.

The Phoenix Suns are now two wins away from their first NBA Finals victory in franchise history after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 by a final scoreline of 118-108.

Devin Booker netted 31 points, including seven three-point conversions. Star guard Chris Paul collected 23 points in the victory. A valiant effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo (42 points and 12 rebounds, including a 20-point third quarter) to carry his team was not enough to overcome the team-oriented play of Phoenix.

The win in Game 1 by Phoenix marks the first time the franchise took the first game in the finals, and the two victories match their total wins in the finals of 1976 and 1993.

Antetokounmpo was brief but direct in his analysis of the rest of the series. “We’ve got to go back home and protect home,” he said. Protecting home means better play from Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, who shot 7 for 21 and 5 for 16, respectively. If they do heat up, they could overcome a 2-0 hole for the second time this season – the first being their series victory over the Nets.

The Bucks will look to stop Phoenix’s potent offense, which quickly moves the ball around the perimeter and is loaded with a host of outside shooters. Giannis will need to stop carrying so much of the offensive burden to give Milwaukee a chance, as his 15 buckets were more than double any of his teammates.

Regardless of the loss, Antetokounmpo still shined. “I will say it’s incredible what he’s been able to do, and it hasn’t happened without time he’s put in to get himself ready, get his body better and continue to do the things that he does to be a two-time MVP,” said Bucks guard Pat Connaughton.

Milwaukee has relied on inside scoring to keep pace with Phoenix’s multilayered offense. They will need to add in makes from beyond the arc and diversify who is putting up points in order to overcome the Suns in Game 3.

Game 3 will be Sunday night in Milwaukee.