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NBA Finals: Suns protect home court for 2-0 lead, halfway through title

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Field Level Media/Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/07/07/nba.jpg"/><figcaption>Devin Booker and the Suns are 2 games away from winning their maiden NBA title. <em>Joe Camporeale, USA Today Sports/Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Devin Booker hit seven of his team&#x27;s postseason-franchise-record 20 3-pointers while scoring 31 points and Phoenix Suns went up 2-0 in the NBA Finals with a 118-108 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.</p><p>The Suns overcame a playoff-career-best 42-point performance by Milwaukee&#x27;s Giannis Antetokounmpo.</p><p>Seeking the first NBA title in their 53-year history, the Suns will hit the road as the scene shifts to Milwaukee for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Thursday (Manila time). </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a 0-0 mindset for us,&quot; Booker said. &quot;It&#x27;s a Game-7 mentality for us. Every game is a game seven for us. It gets rowdy up there but we&#x27;ll be ready for it.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oJZrEOmctc4?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>En route to the eighth win in 10 home games this postseason, the Suns grabbed an 11-point halftime lead and kept the Bucks at arm&#x27;s length throughout the final 24 minutes. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/08/21/look-nba-unveils-commemorative-logo-for-75th-anniversary">LOOK: NBA unveils commemorative logo for 75th anniversary</a></li></ul><p>Milwaukee got as close as 93-88 after a Brook Lopez layup with 8:45 to play, but Deandre Ayton turned a Chris Paul assist into a layup and Booker bombed in a 3-pointer to quickly extend the margin into double figures again. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/08/21/nba-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-feels-good-has-green-light-for-game-2">NBA: Bucks&#x27; Giannis Antetokounmpo &#x27;feels good,&#x27; has green light for Game 2</a></li></ul><p>Booker connected on another 3-pointer to make it a 13-point lead, but the Bucks wouldn&#x27;t go away. Jrue Holiday and Antetokounmpo did all the scoring in a 7-0 burst that got Milwaukee back within 103-97 with 5:15 to go, but this time it was Paul who hit the rally-killing hoop, a 3-pointer that pushed the advantage back to nine.</p><p>The Bucks, who also fell behind the Brooklyn Nets 2-0 on the road before winning the Eastern Conference semifinal series in seven games, never got closer than eight in the final four minutes.</p><p>Booker&#x27;s 31 points came on 12-for-25 shooting overall and 7-for-12 from 3-point range.</p><p>With Paul, Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder hitting three 3-pointers apiece, the Suns went 20-for-40 from beyond the arc, outscoring the Bucks 60-27 from deep. </p><p>&quot;We&#x27;ve got to just keep making it tough on them,&quot; Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. &quot;We&#x27;ve got to look at the film and keep working to get better against this group.&quot;</p><p>Bridges finished with 27 points and Paul 23 for the Suns, who overcame 18 Bucks offensive rebounds and 23-14 disparity in free-throw attempts to gain their third straight 2-0 advantage in the postseason. </p><p>&quot;We need that,&quot; Booker said of Bridges&#x27; performance. &quot;It takes a lot of pressure off everybody once we get it going on the offensive end.&quot;</p><p>Crowder (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Ayton (10 points, 11 rebounds) made it five Suns starters with double-figure points. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/08/21/booker-looking-at-quick-turn-from-nba-finals-to-olympics">Booker looking at quick turn from NBA Finals to Olympics</a></li></ul><p>Antetokounmpo, who also found time for a game-high 12 rebounds, scored 20 of his 42 points in the third quarter and 30 in the second half. It wasn&#x27;t enough for a team that was outshot 48.9 percent to 45.2 percent from the field.</p><p>The 42 points were one more than his previous postseason-high, which he set in the first round in 2019 at Detroit.</p><p>Holiday totaled 17 points, Pat Connaughton 14 and Khris Middleton 11 for the Bucks, who have gone 7-1 at home in the postseason.</p><p>Seeking to avoid the type of start that saw them never hold a lead over the final 40 minutes of Game 1, the Bucks led by as many as nine in the first half Thursday before eventually getting buried in a barrage of Suns 3-pointers. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/07/21/nba-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-feared-he-could-be-out-a-year">NBA: Bucks&#x27; Giannis Antetokounmpo feared he could be &#x27;out a year&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Phoenix had 11 in the first half -- matching its number of 2-pointers. Crowder and Bridges each hit a trey a 15-4 run over the final 4:39 of the second quarter that turned a 41-all tie into a 56-45 advantage.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/07/21/after-masterful-nba-finals-debut-chris-paul-remains-focused-on-task-at-hand">After masterful NBA Finals debut, Chris Paul remains focused on task at hand</a></li></ul><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1652779" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Devin Booker scored 31 points and made 7 3-pointers, and the scorching Suns beat Milwaukee 118-108 and take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals on Friday (Manila time).</p>

Devin Booker scored 31 points and made 7 3-pointers, and the scorching Suns beat Milwaukee 118-108 and take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals on Friday (Manila time).