Milwaukee Bucks: 9 Quick Takeaways from Massive Game 4 Win

It certainly wasn’t pretty at times, as once again, the Milwaukee Bucks struggled shooting the ball, but they made the big plays, came up with the stops, and hit the shots that they needed to win what was likely a season saving Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns.

The series is now all tied up at 2-2, and Game 5 will take place this Saturday in Phoenix. But before we look ahead to that matchup, let’s take a look back at last night’s victory and my nine quick takeaways from what we saw.

Khris Middleton is good

Yes, Khris Middleton has his moments where he’s not hitting shots, but more often than not, he comes through when the Milwaukee Bucks need him. In Game 5, Middleton dropped what felt like a very quiet 40 points, hitting 45 percent of his shots and going 7-8 from the free-throw line.

According to ESPN, the 15 game-tying or go-ahead field goals that Middleton has hit in the fourth quarter or overtime this postseason is tied with 2007 Lebron James for the most in the last 25 years.

Milwaukee Bucks struggle to hit shots

At some point, the math is going to even out, and Milwaukee is going to be red-hot from the field for a game, right? Right?! However, Tuesday was not that day as the Bucks shot 40 percent overall, 11 percentage points fewer than the Suns, and they went just 7 of 29 from deep.

Bucks dominate in other areas to overcome poor shooting

Despite their poor shooting, the Milwaukee Bucks controlled the game in other areas, which is what allowed them to keep things close. As noted by Brew Hoop’s Frank Madden, Milwaukee grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to the Suns 5, the Bucks forced 17 turnovers while the Suns forced only 5, and they scored 15 points in transition, with Phoenix not scoring any. The Bucks would also take 10 more free throws.

Chris Paul Struggles

While the entire Milwaukee Bucks team had just five turnovers, Chris Paul had five all by himself. He was also just 5-13 from the field, including 0-2 from three, for 10 points, and Phoenix was -10 when he was on the floor.

Devin Booker was fantastic (he should have fouled out too)

While Paul struggled, Devin Booker was basically unstoppable. Overall he was 17-28 shooting, getting to the basket and dominating from the mid-range. He finished the game with 42 points and about eight fouls as well. Really the only thing that slowed Booker was that he was in foul trouble for much of the game and should have fouled out during the final minutes, but the refs made an egregious error.

That Giannis’ block was amazing

Many have already called this one of the best defensive plays in NBA Finals history, and it just may have saved the Milwaukee Bucks season. How Giannis was able to get to this ball, I have no idea.

Pat Connaughton finishes +21

On both the offensive and defensive ends, Connaughton has been sneaky good during these Finals. He has been on the positive side of the +/- rating in three of the four games, including an impressive team-high +21 in Game 4 behind 11 points, 9 rebounds, and a big three-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Don’t forget about Jrue Holiday’s defensive contributions

It was another tough night on the offensive end for Jrue Holiday, who finished just 4-20 overall and 0-5 from three but don’t let that take away from his performance on the defensive end. Throughout the game, he is flying around the court and applying pressure, he came away with three steals, and is often tasked with guarding Booker or Paul. Despite the offensive struggles, the Bucks were still +8 with him on the floor.

"“I know my game is more than just scoring,” Holiday said via The Athletic ($$). “It’s part of the reason that they brought me here. I can get into the paint and facilitate, make plays that way, and then I can make plays on the defensive end."

Bucks keep Ayton in check offensively

Although Ayton was all over the defensive glass collecting 16 rebounds and a total of 17, the Milwaukee Bucks did a good job of limiting him on the offensive end. Ayton would finish the game just 3-9 shooting from the field for six points. After Booker’s 42 points, Jae Crowder’s 15 was the next highest point total on this Suns team.