- The Locksmith
NBA Finals Game 5-Picks and Predictions
It’s not a real series until a home team loses a game, and that’s not happening in Game 5.
As said in the Game 4 blog, Milwaukee needed Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton to have an above average game to get a win. Middleton dropped 40, brought them back from down 9 in the fourth quarter and helped secure the victory.
Devin Booker was killin in the first half and the Suns went away from him down the stretch. Chris Paul had another uncharacteristic high turnover game. Phoenix plays better at home, as does Milwaukee. It’s not surprising that role players perform better in front of their home crowds.
It’s deep into the series, so defenses will be keyed in on the minutiae of the opposing offenses. Defensive rotations will be on point and the legs of the players will be tired as the game goes on due to the shortened rotations.
Phoenix needs the role players to step up big time. Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton had poor offensive outputs in Game 4, and can’t reproduce that if the Suns hope to win Game 5. Cam Johnson should be energized after his poster on PJ Tucker. Jae Crowder or Mikail Bridges should get their jumpers flowing in the desert.