Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are about to enter an unfamiliar territory in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Down 3-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Suns now face their first elimination game in the 2021 postseason.
However, the odds are stacked against the Suns before tipoff in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. ESPN's Dave McMenamin notes some intriguing numbers that Phoenix will not like.
In the 2-2-1-1-1 Finals formats, teams that go down 3-2 in the series are just 4-21 (4-22 including the 2020 bubble, which didn't involve travel between games). Considering the history, the Milwaukee Bucks are massive favorites at this point.
One of the four teams who overcame the 3-2 obstacle is the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
*Watch Game 6 of the NBA Finals LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
That said, Booker, in the same ESPN article, chooses to distance the Suns from the feat achieved by James and Co., saying:
“It's kind of hard to compare and contrast what LeBron [James] did in the Finals in whatever year, you know what I'm saying? We have a group that's us, and that's how we keep it. We're trying to figure it out right now, how we're going to go out there and do it. We know it's possible with the group that we have and what we have leaned on for most of the season.”
At this point, the Suns could care less about historical comparisons. They already have their hands full in Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's been playing out of his mind in his first NBA Finals trip.
Like Antetokounmpo, Booker is also playing high-level basketball for the Suns. They're both enjoying splendid performances in this series, registering two 40-point games each.
Milwaukee did engineer a comeback early in Game 5. It'll be just as dangerous counting out the Suns.
Follow Us
Subscribe