With lower than 30 seconds remaining in Saturday night time’s pivotal Recreation 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals, the Suns trailed the Bucks by one level, and Devin Booker had the ball in his fingers. Everybody contained in the Footprint Middle — from his main defender, P.J. Tucker, to the followers within the entrance row (good day, Adele) — knew Booker wished to attain.

And that was the issue. As Booker drove into the lane, he needed to take care of not solely Tucker, but in addition a former Defensive Participant of the Yr in Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Booker received caught and tried to spin away from Tucker and Antetokounmpo, he met Jrue Vacation, who abruptly ended the possession when he ripped the ball out of Booker’s fingers.

MORE: Greatest highlights from Recreation 5 of NBA Finals

Vacation began the quick break and located Antetokounmpo gliding down the ground for an alley-oop. That sequence ended Phoenix’s comeback hopes and gave Milwaukee a 3-2 collection lead.

“Actually it was nice staff protection,” Vacation mentioned. “I really feel like we knew Booker wished to take that final shot and performed nice protection on him and made him flip his again and he turned proper into me. I suppose I used to be simply in the suitable place on the proper time.”

It wasn’t simply the suitable place to be — it was the one place to be. The Suns’ offense has turn out to be far too reliant on Booker to make issues occur, and the Bucks realize it. This isn’t the identical staff that was giving off 2013-14 Spurs vibes in Recreation 2.

Phoenix has misplaced its final two video games regardless of Booker scoring 82 complete factors whereas capturing 55.7 p.c from the sector. The numbers have been spectacular, however far too many possessions have featured Booker working in isolation and taking contested midrange jumpers.

Via 5 Finals video games, Booker has thrown 127 complete passes, per NBA.com monitoring information. He made 92 passes within the first three video games (30.7 per recreation) of the collection however simply 35 passes prior to now two video games (17.5 per recreation). In consequence, his potential assists have gone means down. 

“Yeah, we received to maneuver it round,” Suns coach Monty Williams mentioned. “We all know what [Booker] can do with the ball, however the one factor we talked about was attending to the paint, discovering guys on the again facet. We really feel like that is a formulation. There have been some instances tonight the place it simply caught slightly bit and towards their protection, they do not need to work towards that. So we are able to rating in iso ball, however to make that protection work we received to maneuver it round and to be able to beat this staff that is what you bought to do.”

This isn’t to say Booker deserves blame. He has been spectacular all through the Suns’ playoff run and carried an enormous burden not too long ago. However this group is at its greatest when everybody on the ground is touching the ball, forcing defenders to rotate slightly than load up on one man.

“We have now had ball motion in video games,” Williams mentioned. “There have been video games the place we have not made pictures. Tonight, we had been making pictures at any time when we wished to, passes back and forth the place the ball moved. There simply wasn’t sufficient of that tonight. In order that’s one thing that we are able to right.”

There was definitely ball motion within the first quarter when the Suns hit 14 of their 19 discipline purpose makes an attempt and jumped out to a 37-21 lead. That benefit did not final lengthy, although, because the Bucks chopped down the deficit from 16 to 3 by the 8:41 mark of the second quarter. Phoenix could not get a cease, but it surely additionally did not have Booker on the ground for that necessary stretch. He sat to begin the interval and did not re-enter the sport till there was 6:14 to go earlier than the top of the primary half.

“We have now been a ball-movement staff and generally the switching could cause you to try this,” Suns guard Chris Paul mentioned of the stagnation. “We exploit it at instances and generally we do not. We’ll return and take a look at the movie and see what we may have did higher.”

Phoenix is now on the point of elimination, however the excellent news is that the offense requires tweaks, not a large overhaul. One factor the Suns can do higher: Create extra alternatives from past the arc. After drilling 20 of their 40 3-point makes an attempt in Recreation 2, the Suns have shot 31, 23 and 19 3-pointers prior to now three NBA Finals contests. 

“The ball, when it moved tonight, it appeared like Suns basketball,” Williams mentioned. “However we simply did not generate sufficient threes.”

In addition they must put collectively extra stops, which can permit them to select up simple transition factors, notably for function gamers who do not sometimes generate their very own offense. Any factors that come outdoors of a half-court set are a giant enhance within the Finals.

The principle goal for Phoenix is to interrupt out of the everyday offensive cycle.

Hand the ball to Booker. He makes an attempt to attain as a result of nobody else is doing something. Nobody else does something as a result of the expectation is he’ll rating. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Sure, Booker is proficient sufficient to make it work for a couple of possessions, perhaps even 1 / 4. However the Suns have realized it is not a recipe for achievement towards the Bucks.