2024 NBA Season

[Dave1]

That's possible as we have seen a lot of NBA Finals where a team being down 0-2 were able to come back and win the championship, they just have to avoid the 0-3 because no one has ever come back from that deficit in the NBA history. Home court and playing on the road are different, on home court, they are well motivated as they have the support of the fans, so I would go for the Bucks in game 3, in fact, I had already posted my pick in the other thread.

I'm joining you to take the bet on Bucks for the game 3 of the series. While Sun has been the better team of the two in the first two games, I feel Bucks will do more than enough to get one back and possibly come to level terms by the time we get to game 4. But since we're focusing on game 3, I'll leave it there for now. Since the playoffs, Bucks has been working hard on comebacks. We might see them do it against sun just like they did to Nets from game 3 and Hawks from game 2. Fingers crossed for this one.

When the bucks were down 0-2 against the Nets, they had a great game in game 3 by focusing on the defense, allowing the suns to score 83 points only, and it's a success to see for a high scoring team unable to reach 100 points in a single game. They can do the same with the Suns, so maybe let's take a look and the over/under bet as well.

I agree, even with the Hawks win, they have to limit their opponent to less than 100 to secure a victory. So it means that they have to play good defense and then fuel their offense with Giannis, Middleton and Holiday. So that's the blue print to beat the Suns, but it's easier said than done though, Suns is a high octane fast break team lead by CP3, if somewhat they can limit it or force the Suns to a horrendous shooting night, they might win game 3 in a blow out.

[btc_angela]

That's possible as we have seen a lot of NBA Finals where a team being down 0-2 were able to come back and win the championship, they just have to avoid the 0-3 because no one has ever come back from that deficit in the NBA history. Home court and playing on the road are different, on home court, they are well motivated as they have the support of the fans, so I would go for the Bucks in game 3, in fact, I had already posted my pick in the other thread.

I'm joining you to take the bet on Bucks for the game 3 of the series. While Sun has been the better team of the two in the first two games, I feel Bucks will do more than enough to get one back and possibly come to level terms by the time we get to game 4. But since we're focusing on game 3, I'll leave it there for now. Since the playoffs, Bucks has been working hard on comebacks. We might see them do it against sun just like they did to Nets from game 3 and Hawks from game 2. Fingers crossed for this one.

First they have to get over the hump and win game 3 first. That is the first task in hand for the Bucks. So take it one game at a time. Don't look to tie the game 2-2. Game 3 is the most critical game for them. If they win then now they can focus on the next to even the series. As @stadus said, at 0-3, they might as well say goodbye to their dream of having a NBA ring for Giannis. The other core team members, Middleton, Holiday and Lopez will have to produce good numbers in game 2.

I would also go for the Bucks, homecourt advantage + a must win situation.

[nelson4lov]

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I agree, even with the Hawks win, they have to limit their opponent to less than 100 to secure a victory. So it means that they have to play good defense and then fuel their offense with Giannis, Middleton and Holiday. So that's the blue print to beat the Suns, but it's easier said than done though, Suns is a high octane fast break team lead by CP3, if somewhat they can limit it or force the Suns to a horrendous shooting night, they might win game 3 in a blow out.

Yeah, it's easier said than done but we said the same thing when they were down against Nets. Nets had the big 3 for Bucks to contend with and they did. Suns know that they have a very good chance at winning the finals since they're 2-0 up and would want to make it harder by pushing for a 3-0 lead. Bucks needs not let this happen. They have to be at their best at the back and even when going forward, they need to ensure that they don't give Suns careless opportunities to score points. After the first two games, it would be interesting to see what coach bud has in store for Game 3 of the series for Bucks.

I'm hoping the return to Fiserv Forum would work wonders for Bucks since they would have all the support they need.

...But since we're focusing on game 3, I'll leave it there for now.

First they have to get over the hump and win game 3 first. That is the first task in hand for the Bucks. So take it one game at a time. Don't look to tie the game 2-2. Game 3 is the most critical game for them. If they win then now they can focus on the next to even the series. As @stadus said, at 0-3, they might as well say goodbye to their dream of having a NBA ring for Giannis. The other core team members, Middleton, Holiday and Lopez will have to produce good numbers in game 2.

I would also go for the Bucks, homecourt advantage + a must win situation.

Yeah, I did acknowledged that it's one game at a time for them. If Bucks can will game 3, that would give them the much needed motivation for the rest of the series from game 4 but winning game 3 is a top priority right now.

[Dave1]

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I agree, even with the Hawks win, they have to limit their opponent to less than 100 to secure a victory. So it means that they have to play good defense and then fuel their offense with Giannis, Middleton and Holiday. So that's the blue print to beat the Suns, but it's easier said than done though, Suns is a high octane fast break team lead by CP3, if somewhat they can limit it or force the Suns to a horrendous shooting night, they might win game 3 in a blow out.

Yeah, it's easier said than done but we said the same thing when they were down against Nets. Nets had the big 3 for Bucks to contend with and they did. Suns know that they have a very good chance at winning the finals since they're 2-0 up and would want to make it harder by pushing for a 3-0 lead. Bucks needs not let this happen. They have to be at their best at the back and even when going forward, they need to ensure that they don't give Suns careless opportunities to score points. After the first two games, it would be interesting to see what coach bud has in store for Game 3 of the series for Bucks.

I'm hoping the return to Fiserv Forum would work wonders for Bucks since they would have all the support they need.

And no more pressure on Giannis when taking free throws, for sure the fans are not going into the "count down" mode when he is in the line. The big 3 though is not healthy, only Durant was 100%, but we give credit to the Bucks. Same with the Hawks, they were shock to lose game 1 but they can hard and fight it out and they have a blowout win against the Hawks and then Trae Young got injured.

Mike Budenholzer is an under rated coach in my opinion, we even see NBA news that his ass is on the line if they will lose in the playoffs. But look at where he brings the team, to the NBA finals. For sure he still has some aces to turn around this series or possible to win in 6 or 7.

[harizen]

Holiday has 21 attempts and made 7 only (33.33%)
Middleton has 16 attempts and made 5 only (31.25)

Bad night indeed but shouldn't be always the case as they are in the Finals right now. As far as my research goes, the majority of those attempts are contested that maybe contribute to their worst shooting that night. But these 2 players should be used to it now.

Impressive performance though at Giannis as most of his points are coming from a paint meaning no defense can stop him most of the time once he becomes aggressive. He just really needs some support. A waste of opportunity whenever he's becoming a monster.

Adjustment, adjustment, adjustment - Bucks really need to this especially their role players. It's not their usual. If only these backup role players will explode, the Bucks can even go for a 4 straight win.

[Reid]

Holiday has 21 attempts and made 7 only (33.33%)
Middleton has 16 attempts and made 5 only (31.25)

Bad night indeed but shouldn't be always the case as they are in the Finals right now. As far as my research goes, the majority of those attempts are contested that maybe contribute to their worst shooting that night. But these 2 players should be used to it now.

Most of CP3 and Booker's shots were also contested, it's just better offense that's why they can still make it.
Both guards of the Bucks need that consistency in shooting percentage.
If they can't, then let the play go to Lopez if they are going for outside shots or Tucker.
Those guys always have an open shot and if they can start a good rhythm it may go hot.
The Bucks have a chance to win but they need every play to be accurate and avoid bad shots or better, avoid 3 point shots.

Suns weakness is the painted area, if they can put Ayton in foul trouble it will be an easy 2 for every possession.

[Oasisman]

Holiday has 21 attempts and made 7 only (33.33%)
Middleton has 16 attempts and made 5 only (31.25)

Bad night indeed but shouldn't be always the case as they are in the Finals right now. As far as my research goes, the majority of those attempts are contested that maybe contribute to their worst shooting that night. But these 2 players should be used to it now.

Impressive performance though at Giannis as most of his points are coming from a paint meaning no defense can stop him most of the time once he becomes aggressive. He just really needs some support. A waste of opportunity whenever he's becoming a monster.

Adjustment, adjustment, adjustment - Bucks really need to this especially their role players. It's not their usual. If only these backup role players will explode, the Bucks can even go for a 4 straight win.

The Bucks were shooting under 30% from the 3pt line and most of their points came from the paint which was dominated by Giannis. So, the Suns focused their defense inside the paint area.
It's never gonna be easy for the Bucks to win this series, even If their role players explode and step up, the Suns will still give them a good fight for sure.
The current Phoenix Suns roster is balanced, strong from both offensive and defensive end. So, yeah the Bucks really need to make adjustments and tighten up their defense as well. They should facilitate in using their height advantage as Dario Saric will miss the remainder of the NBA Finals for the Suns.

[gagux123]

Guys, I've been thinking about myself...

Do you believe the Bucks can improve and win these NBA Finals?

I'm asking because I believe some Bucks players (Lopez, Portis, Middleton, Holliday and others) are not playing well and not helping the team.
They need to stand out even more!

We saw the power of Bucks in ECF finals against the Hawks.
Amazingly, I believe the Bucks didn't miss Antetokounmpo so much during the ECF, because others players stood out and took responsibility for themselves.

[danherbias07]

Guys, I've been thinking about myself...

Do you believe the Bucks can improve and win these NBA Finals?

I'm asking because I believe some Bucks players (Lopez, Portis, Middleton, Holliday and others) are not playing well and not helping the team.
They need to stand out even more!

We saw the power of Bucks in ECF finals against the Hawks.
Amazingly, I believe the Bucks didn't miss Antetokounmpo so much during the ECF, because others players stood out and took responsibility for themselves.

Yes, I believe they can. All they need is to step up their game. Their plays are not happening and you won't see it for every possession unlike how the Suns completes their plays that was made by their coach. All Bucks plays are like "ad libitum" improvised and Finals games were not won by those kinds.
You will notice it when Giannis handles the ball and put an isolation, that means the play didn't work out and they need to reset.
Luckily, Giannis can score doing that but it eliminates the chemistry of ball rotation.

[gagux123]

Yes, I believe they can. All they need is to step up their game. Their plays are not happening and you won't see it for every possession unlike how the Suns completes their plays that was made by their coach. All Bucks plays are like "ad libitum" improvised and Finals games were not won by those kinds.
You will notice it when Giannis handles the ball and put an isolation, that means the play didn't work out and they need to reset.
Luckily, Giannis can score doing that but it eliminates the chemistry of ball rotation.

Hmmm, what you said makes sense.
What i can analyze is, if the Bucks' plays aren't happening or are being improvised, something is wrong with Milwaukee, the reason of this happening are, the Suns are defending very well, or, the Bucks are having a lot of difficulty in perform some kind of combined move.

But even so, Antetokounmpo is a dangerous player, because even though he is not 100% healthy, in the last game between the Suns and Bucks, he scored more than 40 points!

[freedomgo]

Yes, I believe they can. All they need is to step up their game. Their plays are not happening and you won't see it for every possession unlike how the Suns completes their plays that was made by their coach. All Bucks plays are like "ad libitum" improvised and Finals games were not won by those kinds.
You will notice it when Giannis handles the ball and put an isolation, that means the play didn't work out and they need to reset.
Luckily, Giannis can score doing that but it eliminates the chemistry of ball rotation.

Hmmm, what you said makes sense.
What i can analyze is, if the Bucks' plays aren't happening or are being improvised, something is wrong with Milwaukee, the reason of this happening are, the Suns are defending very well, or, the Bucks are having a lot of difficulty in perform some kind of combined move.

But even so, Antetokounmpo is a dangerous player, because even though he is not 100% healthy, in the last game between the Suns and Bucks, he managed to score more than 40 points!

Who said he is not 100% healthy? with the way he played in game 2, I have no doubt that he is fully healthy already. Giannis contributed a lot of points, and he is not messing up, so I think we have to figure out that the problem here is his backup players.

[Pulsar77]

The next game of the final series is tonight. Bucks are going to host Suns this time. Giannis has started playing really well. I expect him to score 40+ points in this game again. But this time, I'm expecting and hoping Holiday - Middleton duo to score more than 40 points in total. If we have this scenario, I think that Bucks will win.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

Yes, I believe they can. All they need is to step up their game. Their plays are not happening and you won't see it for every possession unlike how the Suns completes their plays that was made by their coach. All Bucks plays are like "ad libitum" improvised and Finals games were not won by those kinds.
You will notice it when Giannis handles the ball and put an isolation, that means the play didn't work out and they need to reset.
Luckily, Giannis can score doing that but it eliminates the chemistry of ball rotation.

Hmmm, what you said makes sense.
What i can analyze is, if the Bucks' plays aren't happening or are being improvised, something is wrong with Milwaukee, the reason of this happening are, the Suns are defending very well, or, the Bucks are having a lot of difficulty in perform some kind of combined move.

But even so, Antetokounmpo is a dangerous player, because even though he is not 100% healthy, in the last game between the Suns and Bucks, he managed to score more than 40 points!

It boils down to execution, Suns are good whether, pick and roll, screen and then Paul or Booker hitting their J's or dictating the tempo of the game. I think CP3 is really proving himself in this series and in the NBA as the best point guard. On the contrary, if the Bucks failed to execute, it's either force errors or Giannis taking the ball inside and doing isolation, which is bad in my opinion. They need to rotate the ball well and finding the shooter and hope that he can make the open shots to open up the game and give Bucks more chance to win in Game 3. It's already given that Giannis can score 30+ or 40+ per night, it's the other stars that are missing.

[nelson4lov]

The next game of the final series is tonight. Bucks are going to host Suns this time. Giannis has started playing really well. I expect him to score 40+ points in this game again. But this time, I'm expecting and hoping Holiday - Middleton duo to score more than 40 points in total. If we have this scenario, I think that Bucks will win.

Since a team isn't made up of just one player, other players needs to contribute to the cause as well. I have no doubts that Giannis would add 25+ points to their game tally for tonight. Holiday and Middleton needs to step up and start putting more points too which, in addition to Giannis, will enable them win. While Bucks is itching to go all offense in tonight's game, they should keep a tight defense too because Suns has been known to be one of the top offensive team in the NBA this season.

The objective should be to score more and concede less. Bucks needs to win at the Fiserv Forum this night to keep their title hopes alive. All hands should be on desk to support Giannis and overall team performance.

[mirakal]

Yes, I believe they can. All they need is to step up their game. Their plays are not happening and you won't see it for every possession unlike how the Suns completes their plays that was made by their coach. All Bucks plays are like "ad libitum" improvised and Finals games were not won by those kinds.
You will notice it when Giannis handles the ball and put an isolation, that means the play didn't work out and they need to reset.
Luckily, Giannis can score doing that but it eliminates the chemistry of ball rotation.

Hmmm, what you said makes sense.
What i can analyze is, if the Bucks' plays aren't happening or are being improvised, something is wrong with Milwaukee, the reason of this happening are, the Suns are defending very well, or, the Bucks are having a lot of difficulty in perform some kind of combined move.

But even so, Antetokounmpo is a dangerous player, because even though he is not 100% healthy, in the last game between the Suns and Bucks, he managed to score more than 40 points!

It boils down to execution, Suns are good whether, pick and roll, screen and then Paul or Booker hitting their J's or dictating the tempo of the game. I think CP3 is really proving himself in this series and in the NBA as the best point guard. On the contrary, if the Bucks failed to execute, it's either force errors or Giannis taking the ball inside and doing isolation, which is bad in my opinion. They need to rotate the ball well and finding the shooter and hope that he can make the open shots to open up the game and give Bucks more chance to win in Game 3. It's already given that Giannis can score 30+ or 40+ per night, it's the other stars that are missing.

Actually, it's easy for the Bucks to rotate the ball but the Suns are just doing better. If we saw games 1 and 2, they didn't double Giannis and just allow him to score, foul him sometimes as they know he is not a good FT shooter. What's lacking is the contribution of his teammates, Bucks will not win if they will just dominate inside but had a poor shooting outside with poor defense.

[akirasendo17]

Guys, I've been thinking about myself...

Do you believe the Bucks can improve and win these NBA Finals?

I'm asking because I believe some Bucks players (Lopez, Portis, Middleton, Holliday and others) are not playing well and not helping the team.
They need to stand out even more!

We saw the power of Bucks in ECF finals against the Hawks.
Amazingly, I believe the Bucks didn't miss Antetokounmpo so much during the ECF, because others players stood out and took responsibility for themselves.

Yes, I believe they can. All they need is to step up their game. Their plays are not happening and you won't see it for every possession unlike how the Suns completes their plays that was made by their coach. All Bucks plays are like "ad libitum" improvised and Finals games were not won by those kinds.
You will notice it when Giannis handles the ball and put an isolation, that means the play didn't work out and they need to reset.
Luckily, Giannis can score doing that but it eliminates the chemistry of ball rotation.

They have the skills and players to do that but they need to control the tempo of the game, letting paul control the game is like giving up, in the last 2 games, the bucks are just playing catch up, they need to be in control, if not its the sun who will take home the ring, Lopez should guard Ayton, with those long arms, he show it in, brooklyn, suns is less so he could be more effective i think.

[Russlenat]

Lopez should guard Ayton, with those long arms, he show it in, brooklyn, suns is less so he could be more effective i think.

They seemed to found a way to limit Ayton, but they can't minimize the production of Booker and Paul which are the main players for their offense. If Paul can't make 20 points, he can make 10 assists, so that would still be converted to points, minimize Paul's production in both ends and Bucks will win.

[dezoel]

Last game to decide whats going to happen if you ask me. If Suns gets this game then we are talking about Suns championship for sure, however if Bucks wins then there is one more game to survive, and bucks do not look like they are going to end up winning neither, they are looking like they are already crumbling under pressure.

I guess this is going to be a decisive victory from Suns, people are thinking that just because it is in Bucks court they are going to win, but if you see a 20 point or so blowout win from Suns then I wouldn't be so shocked, I really feel like that could be possible. I am not saying that is what we will have, we could have anything, hell even maybe just the opposite and a blow out win from Bucks who knows, however I know that many people are already expecting that part, I am just saying that expect the Suns part as well, that is unexpected for now and I think it is not that impossible.

[Ziskinberg]

Lopez should guard Ayton, with those long arms, he show it in, brooklyn, suns is less so he could be more effective i think.

They seemed to found a way to limit Ayton, but they can't minimize the production of Booker and Paul which are the main players for their offense. If Paul can't make 20 points, he can make 10 assists, so that would still be converted to points, minimize Paul's production in both ends and Bucks will win.

The Suns are very unpredictable, Bucks could limit one of their players but the others will definitely produce. Last game, Bridges produce 27 points, no one sees that coming, right?

[Baofeng]

Lopez should guard Ayton, with those long arms, he show it in, brooklyn, suns is less so he could be more effective i think.

They seemed to found a way to limit Ayton, but they can't minimize the production of Booker and Paul which are the main players for their offense. If Paul can't make 20 points, he can make 10 assists, so that would still be converted to points, minimize Paul's production in both ends and Bucks will win.

Yes, they have clamped down on Ayton on the last game, when Ayton got the ball inside, he was always double team that's why he missed his shots. But CP3 is the key here for the Bucks, if they want to win, they should start on checking CP3, specially by Jrue Holiday. Fight for the picks, play physical on him to make Paul uncomfortable. Otherwise, he can dominate the game because he is a cerebral player and usually makes the right decision every time.