Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA Finals Game 2 live updates: Big adjustments on way?
Suns #Suns
The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks face off in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at Phoenix Suns Arena.
Follow our updates on the game, which is set to begin at 6 p.m. and can be seen on ABC.
The Suns hold a 1-0 lead in the series after a 118-105 win in Game 1 on Tuesday night.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
More Bucks vs. Suns NBA Finals coverage:
The Bucks have been called for just one foul in the game midway through the second quarter. The Suns have been called for four.
Phoenix has not attempted a free throw after attempting 26 in Game 1.
The Bucks are 2-for-4 from the free throw line after going 9-for-16 in Game 1 (make that 3-for -5 after Antetokounmpo made 1 of 2 attempts.
Three-point fest for Phoenix
The Suns are staying in the game with their three-point shooting, going 8-for-14 from 3-point range in the first quarter. They are 9-for-23 from the field overall.
The Bucks are 2-for-4 from 3-point range and 13-for-28 on their field goal attempts.
Somehow, Phoenix only trails 29-26 at the end of the first quarter.
With the way the game started, It feels like it should be more.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and P.J. Tucker each have seven for Milwaukee, while Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder each have six for the Suns.
The Suns did not attempt a free throw in the first quarter. The Bucks only attempted two (Antetokounmpo went 1-for-2 as the crowd counted loudly).
Slow start for Suns
The Suns have made 3-of-6 three -point attempts in the early going, but they trail the Bucks 14-9 with 6:52 left in the first quarter.
Phoenix has shot just 3-for-10 from the field. Crowder hit one of the three-point field goals and Mikal Bridges hit the other two.
A concern for Phoenix?
Deandre Ayton hasn’t touched the ball.
The Bucks are destroying the Suns in the paint, with 12 of their 14 points coming inside, a big change from Game 1.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is off to a strong start with six points on 3-for-4 shooting.
The Bucks certainly look, and are playing like a different team.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar flips coin, makes pick
In 1969, the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks had a coin flip to decide who would get the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
The Milwaukee Bucks won the flip and took Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the No. 1 selection, while the Suns took Neal Walk at No. 2, forever linking the two franchise and prompting “What If?” questions for Phoenix Suns fans.
Abdul-Jabbar shared his pick for the NBA Finals between the Suns and Bucks shortly before Game 2, and yes, he flipped a coin.
His pick? Bucks in six.
Suns fans hope to get revenge on the Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals.
The Bucks won a title with Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.
Starting lineups
The Suns and Bucks aren’t making any changes to their starting lineups for Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
The Suns are going with Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder at forward, Deandre Ayton at center and Devin Booker and Chris Paul at guard.
The Bucks are starting P.J. Tucker and Giannis Antetokounmpo at forward, Brook Lopez at center and Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday at guard.
What adjustments will come in Game 2?
How you fare in an NBA playoff series often depends on what adjustments you make from game to game.
What adjustments could we see from the Bucks in Game 2?
There has been a lot of chatter about Milwaukee potentially playing Giannis Antetokounmpo at the 5 (center position) in the game in an attempt to switch things up for the Bucks (a move perhaps in part designed to get Deandre Ayton in foul trouble and the Suns are not as deep with their big men after Dario Saric’s injury in Game 1).
Milwaukee was burned on many occasions in Game 1 when their switches put Brook Lopez on Chris Paul or other Suns. Will they change that up Thursday night?
The Bucks could attempt to trap Paul and Devin Booker, putting the onus on the other Suns to hit their outside shots, something the team did not do well in Game 1 (Phoenix was 11-of-24 from 3-point range, not horrible, but this team can shoot better).
Will Jrue Holiday be more aggressive on defense, perhaps channeling the style of the Clippers’ Patrick Beverley to become a nuisance for Phoenix?
The Bucks seemed to rely on jumpers at times in Game 1, not being aggressive and taking the ball to the hoop, while the Suns, and particularly Devin Booker especially in the early going, made it a habit to attack the basket.
Phoenix shot 26 free throws (and made 25 of them) as a result. Milwaukee was just 9-of-16 from the line. Will we see a more assertive Bucks team on offense to try to change that in Game 2?
The Suns have shown an ability to adjust their offense based on what the other team is giving them throughout the playoffs. They might have to adjust in Game 2 based on how the Bucks defend them early.
Just a few things to keep an eye on in the early going at Phoenix Suns Arena tonight.
Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul has been on a roll in his last two games.
Paul has scored a combined 73 points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Bucks and Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the Clippers.
He was a remarkable 16-of-24 from the field for 41 points against the Clippers (and 7-of-8) from three-point range to close out the Clippers before going for 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting in Game 1 (and 4-for-7 on 3-pointers).
Devin Booker raved about Paul after Game 1. Can the point guard keep it up in Game 2 against Milwaukee?
“He’s the greatest leader” Devin Booker praises Chris Paul
SHARE
SHARE
TWEET
SHARE
Click to expand
UP NEXT
Pregame reading
Catch up on these stories from The Arizona Republic to prepare for Game 2 of the Suns vs. Bucks series:
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks NBA Finals Game 2 live updates: 3-point fest for Phoenix