Game 4 - The Middle Way

The Suns and Bucks fought neck and neck throughout the first half. Devin Booker hushed the critics who based the entire assessment of a player based on one game. He'd ultimately pour in 42 points or just 28 shots. He got to line and only missed one in nine attempts.

On the other side was Khris Middleton for the Bucks. He had substandard games in the first two of the series. But in Game 4, he had trouble missing, particularly in the clutch. Middleton exploded for 40 points on 33 shots. He was 7 for 8 from the line.

The game was tied at 56 at the half and Phoenix held a six point lead going into the fourth. Jae Crowder has played well since the Game 2 and he contributed 15 points, 8 rebounds with 3 blocks and 3 steals. The Suns got production from the bench, particularly the Cams. Payne scored 9 in 17 minutes and Johnson 10 points.

Cam Johnson is receiving a lot of praise in this series for his athleticism and scoring ability. But his rebounding has been woeful. He grabbed one miss in 29 minutes. Johnson isn't the only Sun who doesn't box-out on a missed shot, but he is the poster child and lamely reaching the ball as a Milwaukee player grabbed an offensive board.

Offensive rebounding numbers for the Bucks went like this in Game 4: Giannis Antetokounmpo 5, (undersized forward) P.J. Tucker 3, (backup guard) Pat Connaughton 3, (point guard) Jrue Holiday 3, (in 20 minutes) Bobby Portis 2. The Suns as a team grabbed just 5.

That lack a rebounding hurt the Suns in the fourth. Antetokounmpo didn't have the best game ever. Only 26 points (on 11 for 19 shooting), 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. One of those blocks came late in the game.

With a 1:15 left in the game and the Bucks up 2, Booker threw an alley oop to a wide open Deandre Ayton who caught it and went in for the dunk. Instead, Giannis came from no where to preserve the lead.

Ayton grabbed 17 boards but scored only 6 in 39 minutes. Chris Paul played poorly as well. He just clipped double digits ins coring but sported a 7-5 assist to turnover ration. One of those turnovers came late with the game on the line. Paul just slipped and lost the ball. Mikal Bridges couldn't repeat his stellar games at home early in the series.

Brook Lopez, the Bucks center, scored 14 in 19 minutes. Connaughton has taken a lot of Lopez's minutes because his game has more variety than Lopez's. He added 11 points and 9 rebounds. Holiday shot terribly, but he did other things with 7 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Towards the end of the game, Booker had five fouls and seemingly tried to get the sixth on several different plays. The refs refused to oblige in a bizarre stain on the officials' reputation.

Milwaukee won 109-103 to tie the series heading back to Phoenix.