3 keys to Bucks evening up NBA Finals in Game 4 vs. Suns

1. Win the 3-point battle

Both of these teams have shown the ability to light it up from beyond the 3-point arc in these Finals, and the series winner could ultimately be decided by which team hits their 3s and defends it best on the other end.

The Bucks’ Game 3 win saw the team finish 14-of-36 from 3-point range while the Suns shot 9-for-31, with six of those made 3s coming from Jae Crowder.

Milwaukee’s perimeter defense did an excellent job of limiting the likes of Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson to a combined 3-for-14 from long range.

On the other side of that, the Bucks guards knocked down their 3s at a high rate in Game 3. Khris Middleton finished 3-for-7 (18 total points), while Jrue Holiday knocked down 5-of-10 (21 total points). Four of Holiday’s five made 3s came in a 38-point Bucks third quarter.

Aside from Giannis, both Middleton and Holiday have played a key role in the offensive success of the Bucks in this playoff run. They aren’t nearly as dominant offensively as some of the other stars in the league, but they’ve shown the ability to score when it counts. That’s a must if Milwaukee has any shot at winning it all.

Getting timely 3-pointers from guys like Connaughton, P.J. Tucker, and Bryn Forbes are also backbreakers and demoralizing for the Suns, who already have their hands full with the main offensive threats of the Bucks.

It’s always been said the difficulty for role players hitting timely shots increases dramatically during road playoff games. That’s been the case in the Finals so far, so the Bucks need to take advantage of being at home in Game 4.