The Milwaukee Bucks dropped Game 2 of the Finals to the Phoenix Suns, who now lead the series 2-0. Game 2 saw a lot of highlights from two time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished the game with 42 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and one steal. The Greak Freak became the first player in Bucks franchise history to put up 40 points and 10 rebounds in a Finals game. While it was a remarkable night for Antetokounmpo, his teammates meanwhile were almost no-shows, especially on the offensive end. 

Nobody aside from Antetokounmpo had more than 20 points in Game 2. A lot of credit goes to the Suns’ defense, but Middleton and Holiday need to do better in order for the Bucks to have a chance in this series. Middleton shot 5-16 and finished with only 11 points while Holiday shot 7-21 and only pitched in 17 points. For the second game in a row, Antetokounmpo was the lone starter with a positive plus/minus despite his team losing by 10, finishing with a +3 in 40:07 minutes. 

The Bucks went from being the highest scoring team in the league during the regular season to putting up arguably their worst offensive performance in the Finals. They can't seem to score consistently, averaging only 106.5 points in both game one and two combined. The Bucks' three point shooting hasn't been great, hitting only 29 percent of their shots in game two. It seemed like Giannis was the only Buck keeping the team alive in game two.

There’s no argument that Middleton and Holiday have been huge for the Bucks this postseason. After all, they helped carry Milwaukee to their first Finals since 1974 after the Greak Freak went down with a freakish injury. But this Suns team they’re facing in the Finals is no joke—they will expose their opponent’s weaknesses and beat them with their collective IQ. The Suns are the sixth best defensive team in the league and have multiple weapons on offense, besides their two all-stars. That’s exactly how they’ve won both battles so far in the Finals. 

So, what should the Bucks do to counter the Suns’ game? Maybe, play Giannis for 48 minutes. Yes, this is brutal given that he’s not completely healed from his knee injury but if the Bucks want to stay competitive, then increasing Giannis’ minutes is a must. Game 3 is basically do-or-die for Milwaukee and it doesn’t help that history isn’t on their side. 

According to Statemuse, only four teams in NBA history have overcome a 0-2 deficit in the finals. Those are the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, 2006 Miami Heat, 1977 Portland Trail Blazers and 1969 Boston Celtics. Good news for the Bucks is that they’ve played relatively well at home in the postseason, but it’s going to take a lot from Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton if they want to win the series. 

The Suns don’t have an answer for Antetokounmpo, but they can beat the Bucks every minute he's not on the court. Giannis needs help from his team and perhaps head coach Mike Budenholzer to counter the Suns’ well-planned game plan. They need to come out with a sense of desperation in Game 3, and that might mean there will potentially be a demand to let Giannis play all 48 minutes.